


The Universe Is Within Us

by bisoubisou_xx



Category: 5 Seconds of Summer (Band)
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Anal Sex, Blow Jobs, Dirty Talk, Knotting, M/M, Masturbation, Multi, Rimming, Sex Toys
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-27
Updated: 2016-06-27
Packaged: 2018-07-16 22:57:57
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 22,321
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7288045
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bisoubisou_xx/pseuds/bisoubisou_xx
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><b>α</b>lpha. <b>β</b>eta. <b>Ω</b>mega.</p><p>The Trinity is the ideal, but some people just don’t see it that way.</p><p>So what happens when a beta with no idea of his true Status stumbles upon an alpha who wants him and an omega who doesn’t?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [lilacpages](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lilacpages/gifts).



       **An excerpt from “A ▲B▲O: A Biological Overview of Who We Are”**

_[...] Betas, however, share certain traits with both of their alpha and omega counterparts. Betas are capable of entering into both ruts and heats, though the conditions of both are much more mild and can be weathered alone, whereas for alphas and omegas to have a comfortable, bearable Cycle 1, they need to alleviate their sexual energy either with a partner or unaccompanied2._

_What is most striking about betas is that they are only male (genetically, having XY chromosomes), whereas alphas and omegas can be male or female (genetically XX). Like male alphas, betas have a knot at the base of their phallus, which is used during sexual intercourse with omegas (though betas are sterile, while there have been only a few documented cases of alpha sterility throughout history). Contrastingly, betas also have self-lubricating rectums, enabling them to couple with an alpha comfortably, as well._

_Presenting as a beta is an incredibly rare occurrence, and due to the stigma placed upon them from much of the alpha and omega populus, the rarity of the Status could not be as widespread as is assumed, but could be explained away by betas wishing to remain hidden in plain sight, not wanting their Status broadcast, and falsely assuming the status they prefer. Many of those who decry betas believe that they threaten the bond between an alpha and his or her omega, while those on the other side of the debate uphold that the alpha-beta-omega (ABO) Trinity is the ideal lifestyle, and is the most fulfilling type of relationship to have. [...]_

      1 Period of time alphas spend in a rut, or that omegas spend in heat.  
      2 See also: Mating; Masturbatory Aids

* * *

Calum sat upright in his bed, licking at the corner of his mouth. He’d felt a—a _twinge_ in his abdomen, just below his bellybutton, and it didn’t only feel strange. It felt purposeful, like something was about to happen, with magnitude and meaning, but when he lifted the sheets, looking down between his legs, nothing appeared out of the ordinary. He supposed that couldn’t be _it_ —his Presenting, coming in to his Status. It was, as he’d heard from everyone he knew who had Presented already, that it was something he’d remember for the rest of his life.

So it just didn’t hold that a tiny twinge in his stomach could be anything more than just...that. Which was kind of disappointing.

He pushed the sheets down further, though, as he rubbed his eyes, trying to rouse himself to waking. The twinge was persisting, and when his eyes were adjusted to the darkness of his room, he saw and felt simultaneously that he was hard. He hummed quietly and lowered a hand to touch himself through his boxers, hissing and withdrawing his hand immediately. His cock felt more sensitive than it ever had before, so this had to be it. He was Presenting, right now, and all that happened was his dick was sensitive.

What a rip-off.

He’d been expecting something mindblowing, something that would fuck him up for a couple days at least. As it was, he just felt like he really needed to come. He adjusted his hips a little, trying to figure out whether he was an alpha or an omega. He had always thought that when his Presenting came, he’d know immediately which it was, that he’d feel the need to fuck into something or to push something inside of himself, but as it was he just wanted to jerk off.

Calum lifted one hand up to his face, covering it for a moment and then lifting it, running it back through his hair, mussing it even further than it already was from being awoken in the middle of the night. He palmed his dick through his underwear with his other hand, swallowing a gasp—his dick was _really_ fucking sensitive. Maybe that was what he’d never forget. His dick about to shoot from just being barely touched.

Taking a deep breath, he kicked the covers even further away and slid off his bed, glancing surreptitiously behind himself for a wet spot, indicating he was leaking slick, but he saw nothing of the sort on his sheets, no dark area left behind. He bit his lip—so...alpha then. He couldn’t suppress his grin, and shucked his boxers off, kicking them across the room as he looked down to check out his brand new knot—

Except his dick looked the same as always. He frowned. What the fuck? Was he not Presenting after all? Maybe this was a dream. Maybe he was hallucinating or having a vision of when he _would_ Present, in the future, but he wasn’t actually Presenting _right now_ —no, that was stupid. His dick was too hard and desperate to be touched for this not to be something else than just average, everyday arousal.

Maybe the knot would come later. All the porn he’d ever watched had the base of the alpha’s cock already bulging out, ready to pop into an omega’s loose hole—Calum whimpered, his cock throbbing at the filthy thoughts, at the images he had playing in his mind, so he just sat back down on his bed and settled against his pillows, the back of his head resting against the wall.

“All right,” he muttered to himself, spreading his legs out and lowering both of his hands; he cupped his balls with his left ( _Shit_ , they were sensitive too) and took his dick in his right hand. It was overwhelming right away, but he had to know how he was Presenting so he could properly sate himself. He glanced nervously over at his dresser, where toys for both an alpha and an omega were tucked away underneath his socks so his roommate would never, fucking _never_ find them.

He’d gotten both a few months ago, when he realized that not only was he a late bloomer, apparently, but he was probably definitely going to be alone for his first Cycle. No one ever gave him the time of day because his Status wasn’t detectable by his scent yet, though a couple times he did notice older alphas eye him suspiciously, which made him nervous. There was probably some kind of whole community of fully-grown, adult alphas who preferred omegas years younger than them for their fertility or just plain attractiveness, but Calum strongly preferred someone who would be around his own age to mate with, maybe even bond with someday,

Calum gave his dick a sharp upward stroke, gasping out loud and clamping his mouth shut a second later. He considered climbing off the bed again, going to retrieve both of the toys he had. There was the long, thick dildo (which had a knot that expanded as his ass tightened down on it, the closer he got to his orgasm), or the silicone sleeve, made to swallow up his cock as he fucked into it, its opening pliant enough to accommodate his knot. Maybe it would be better to have both nearby just in case.

He released his dick, ready to climb off the bed, when he stopped moving—his entire body felt like it was wound to explode, now, so the best course of action was maybe just to stay put and jerk himself off. Ruts, and heats, usually lasted for a few hours at their shortest, a day or two at their longest (all dependent on whether the last one was spent alone or with a partner)—so Calum was pretty sure he could just get himself off the old-fashioned way and then retrieve whichever toy was the correct one for his Status.

Settling himself back against the pillows again, he closed his eyes and moved his hands back to their previous places. He gently rolled his balls in his hand, his cock spurting precome almost endlessly; it was rolling down his length, over his hands, onto his thighs and the sheet below him. He would have to change the sheets after this was over.

“Oh, fuck,” Calum said, body shuddering as his forefinger and thumb softly pinched the head of his dick between them. He felt how wet his skin was, the slit of his cock practically pouring precome; his scent was thick in the room, so strong that it was just contributing to his arousal, which had never happened before, but then, this was different than every other time he’d felt like jerking off in the past.

He felt the undersides of his thighs were moist, slicked up by the substance his cock was leaking, and his head fell back against the wall as he groaned softly; he had to keep his voice down, lest he wake his roommate next door. Michael was a handful to deal with on a good day. If he found out that Calum was Presenting he’d want to get _involved_ and ask _questions_ and Calum didn’t feel like doing anything other than jerk his dick until he came so hard he saw spots, or maybe passed out. He wasn’t quite sure which yet.

Calum twisted his hand around his length as he moved it up and down; it slid easily over his slick skin, and after a moment, as he moved his hand back down toward the base, he noticed that it felt a touch wider in his hand. His heart surged and he looked down, even though the width wasn’t discernible to his eyes yet, he could still feel the beginnings of a knot between his thighs. He moved his hand faster, lifting his left hand to cover his mouth, needing to stay as quiet as possible because he didn’t want any unwanted visitors barging in (Michael was the worst roommate ever: he never bothered to knock, for any reason).

Moaning against his left hand, which was a little bit wet, too, Calum kept his right working over his cock, jerking himself off so quickly his whole body was trembling. But he had to keep going— _had to_ —because it was the only way to get the rut to stop. Using his feet to pull himself, he slid forward, his back moving onto the soaked portion of the sheet, and even though his brain registered that it was somewhat disgusting, he couldn’t bring himself to care, because lying flat on his back enabled him to jerk his hips up, fucking into his fist. He groaned, loudly, a guttural noise that he didn’t think he’d ever heard himself make before.

His hand moved down over his slowly expanding knot again, and it was bigger than it had been before. Frantic, knowing his hand wouldn’t be nearly enough, he threw himself to the side and off his bed, his right hand slippery with his own precome, his thighs dripping with it, as he pulled his dresser drawer open and dug around for the toy he needed. His fingertips brushed over a length of silicone and he grabbed it without thinking, but it was the dildo, which _really_ couldn’t help him now. He dove back into the drawer, slapping pairs of socks out of the way until he found what he needed: the sleeve he could fuck into. 

Calum honestly didn’t think he could even make it back onto his bed—he could feel the knot swelling up, pressing against his thighs; it seemed to have its own heartbeat, he was so aware of it on his body. He held the fucktoy in his left hand and lowered his right again, reaching for his cock, which was arching away from his body, supported by the knot. He moaned loudly, pressing the back of his wrist to his mouth to at least attempt to smother the sound as he touched his dick, fingertips trailing over its length before focusing on the knot.

“Oh, god,” he moaned, leaning forward to rest his arm against the top of his dresser, his forehead against his forearm. He could feel how hot his skin was, and without waiting another agonizing moment, he straightened himself up, held his cock steady with his right hand, and moved the toy onto his length with his left.

It was tight—the toy seemed to constrict around his dick each time he fucked his hips forward into it, and he could tell he’d finally moved deep enough into it when the front of it brushed against his knot, sending a strong wave of arousal through his entire frame. He shook where he stood, not sure if he was able to support himself any longer, so he just put more of his weight on the dresser in front of him and rutted his hips forward again. This time, his knot stretched the hole just a little before he pulled it off again, readying himself to fuck forward again. The toy made a wet noise, and he knew he had to be leaking precome into it as well; it was probably falling onto the floor below him, he’d have to clean that tomorrow, but he couldn’t even think about staining the carpet because he _still had yet to come_ , for fuck’s sake.

This time, when he moved back into the toy, he jerked his hips forward as he yanked it toward himself, and his knot popped into place, stretching the toy around himself. He came, hard, so hard that he actually bit down on his arm to keep himself from waking Michael in the next room; he unloaded so much fucking semen into the toy that it actually oozed out of the sides, around his dick, and—yeah. Stained the carpet. _God damn_.

Calum felt like his orgasm lasted an hour, but in reality he had no idea how long it actually was. The toy had to be ruined, but even if it wasn’t there was no way he was giving it the thorough cleaning it needed to be usable again. He’d just replace it before the next wave of his Cycle hit. He thought back on stories that other alphas had told him—sometimes they’d go into a rut a day until their Cycle was over, which should give him enough time to get out to the store, and—

Wait. _Other alphas_. Calum had Presented, and he was an _alpha_. He finally belonged, he was finally able to be a real adult, someone with Status. He was fucking _thrilled_.

Grinning to himself, he moved back, sitting down on his bed, unintentionally dirtying the clean half of his sheets. He supposed he had to wait a few minutes for his knot to go down, so he could get the toy off of himself. He looked back at his bed, at the dark, wet fabric where he’d been laying before, then reached a hand between his legs and touched his thighs. He was soaking. He had no idea that he’d produce so much precome, but maybe that wasn’t necessarily an alpha thing. Maybe it was just a Calum thing. Either way, it was fine—omegas produced their own slick, but more probably couldn’t hurt.

It took a good fifteen minutes for his knot to shrink enough for him to coax the toy off, and in those fifteen minutes Calum had texted nearly every single person he knew that he’d Presented—he didn’t give a shit that it was nearly 3 in the morning—and he’d changed his Facebook Status to “Alpha” (sadly his relationship status still read as “Unbound.”) He dropped the used toy onto the floor, ignoring the squelching noise that it made, and stood up. He’d have to change his sheets, but first he needed to clean himself up. He was covered in come and sweat, and he could tell he didn’t just smell like sex, but he just generally kind of smelled—Presenting was hard physical labor, apparently.

He pulled his underwear back on and shuffled over to the door of his room, opening it and peeking out. Michael’s door was closed, which meant he was still sleeping, so Calum was able to sneak into the bathroom and swipe his towel from the rack. He returned to his room and wiped himself down, throwing the damp towel into his laundry bag when he was finished. His sheets followed shortly after, and it was only when he’d re-made his bed that he realized he felt completely normal again.

No orgasm aftershocks, no twinge in his gut reminding him that in a few hours he’d be doing all of this again. Maybe his first rut would be as easy as that, and he wouldn’t have to suffer by himself any longer. He’d get a nice, long six month break until his next Cycle, which was good.

Sliding into fresh, cool sheets, Calum closed his eyes as soon as his cheek hit the pillow.

People made such a huge deal out of Presenting, he mused, but it was easier than he’d thought.


	2. Chapter 2

       **An excerpt from “Status Report” advice column. First printed March 2010.**

_Dear SR,_

_I’m at the end of my rope. I don’t know what to do anymore. My two sons were always so close growing up even though one is 6 years older than the other. When the older one Presented as an alpha, the younger one wanted desperately to Present as one too just to be like his older brother._

_Well, you can just imagine how upset he was when he Presented as an omega. I thought he was going to cry. His first heat was unbearable not just for himself but for the whole family. My husband is an omega as well and he tried to comfort our son and calm him down but I think that my son’s disappointment in being an omega is just too strong and I’m seriously worried that he will reject his Status._

_Do you have any advice on how to keep him from rejecting his Status? We are willing to try anything._

_\- Mom First, Alpha Second_

–

_Mom First,_

_What you are describing is actually not uncommon at all. Omegas, especially those close to alphas within their own family, can be known to have what some experts refer to as “knot envy.” It is actually less about your son rejecting his Status and is more about wanting to be like his elder brother._

_The best thing that you can do as a family is be supportive of him, continually remind him of his own worth, regardless of his Status, and be sure to stress that being an omega is really the least important thing about himself. His Status is important, yes, but it is just another part of who he is, and it doesn’t make up who he is as a person. He might feel inferior because he is an omega, though we as a society strive to achieve equality between alphas and omegas. Building up his self-worth and self-esteem are very important. “Stroke his ego,” to put it plainly._

_Many omegas are able to overcome their knot envy and accept their Status, and lead happy, fulfilling lives with the alpha that they choose to bond or mate with. Rejecting a Status is a very drastic measure that many who have Presented do not take lightly, and since your son has just Presented recently, he will probably “grow into” his omega Status. If he doesn’t, continue to be supportive. He’ll get there eventually._

_-Status Report_

* * *

Luke wasn’t really the best example of an omega. He was too loud, too snippy, and not even close to passive enough to really fit in with other members of his Status, who learned quickly that to be attractive to alphas, they need to be good at being obedient.

He had no trouble falling into the role in the bedroom—but it wasn’t uncommon for Luke to approach alphas first, amping up his own pheromones in hopes of hooking one of them for the evening. The ones who weren’t turned off by how forward he was were glad to show him his place in private, fucking his ass into oblivion, knotting him as many times as they could get it up, until come was dripping from his stretched hole, mixed with his own slick. He liked to ask them to clean him up after, putting on a soft, quiet voice that no alpha he’d met yet could resist—“Would you lick it?” he’d ask, demure, and spread his legs open, his gaping hole on display, the scent of his slick and their semen making it impossible to resist. They’d eat him out, swallow everything he had to offer them, lapping at him until their scent clung to every inch of Luke’s body, marking him as theirs, at least until Luke left the room.

Luke liked to play games, and it just so happened he was damn good at them.

He wasn’t really the kind of person to stick around with one guy for very long, but his latest conquest wasn’t really taking no for an answer.

_How did you get this number?_ Luke texted, frowning, even though the person who had texted him had their contact information in his phone. The name was “Ashton.” Luke sort of remembered him, he guessed—he was an alpha who had been all too eager to go along with him, very interested in buying him drinks and stumbling, tipsy, back to his place with Luke.

_You gave it to me. Two nights ago. Said you...uh. Said you wanted my knot again and again._

Luke felt his cheeks warm. That was the kind of thing he said all the time in bed, but seeing it uncensored, in writing, in the middle of the day when he was just trying to pick up some groceries, made it seem even worse than saying it in the first place.

He tapped out a few replies, along the lines of “I honestly don’t remember” (which was a lie) and “Don’t flatter yourself, you’re not the only one who gets off on dirty talk” (not even close to a lie), but before he could, “Ashton” had sent another text.

_I know it was just a random hook up, but I did like you...and I’d like to see you again. No strings. We can just grab a coffee._

Luke sneered at his phone, unsure if he wanted to play along or get rid of this guy. He’d test the waters before he decided. _And fuck?_

There was a long pause before he saw the other guy start typing. He grinned when his reply popped up.

_I’ll make sure to get an extra shot of espresso._

–

“Your coffee,” Ashton said, joining Luke at the table he’d chosen for the two of them, while Ashton waited for their drinks. They’d met up at a corner Luke had specified, close to a Starbucks. Luke must have lived closeby, because half of the employees waved to him when he walked in, and the one who took their orders (a cheerful alpha by the name of Josh) eyed Ashton and then smirked at Luke. It made Ashton shuffle a little, uncomfortable, but then, Luke had made it clear on the walk there that Ashton wasn’t the first guy he’d had a one night stand with, and he probably wouldn’t be the last.

“Thanks,” Luke said, taking the cup from him. “You didn’t have to pay, you know. I think I have a free drink on my card.”

“I know it’s not a date,” Ashton said, “but I did ask you out. And, like, I’ve been inside you, so.” He smiled, hoping Luke would think it was funny. Thankfully, he chuckled as he sipped his drink.

“Well, thanks,” Luke said, leaning back in his chair, tipping it onto two legs, and putting his cup back down on the table.

“My pleasure,” Ashton said, catching Luke’s eye. They both smirked a little. Ashton took a sip from his cup, licked his upper lip, then nodded toward his drink. “I did get an extra shot of espresso, you know.”

Luke laughed again, genuinely. He liked a guy who could make him laugh, especially when he was an alpha who looked as good as the one sitting across from him.

–

“Wanna squeeze that knot into me, huh?” Luke asked, watching Ashton where he was sitting across from him on the bed, seriously restraining himself from launching toward Luke and grabbing him.

“Yeah,” Ashton gasped out, curling his hands into fists in the sheets. After they finished their coffee and left the Starbucks, Luke had turned Ashton down the street the way they’d come, but instead of simply walking beside him like he had earlier, this time he coiled his arm around Ashton’s and leaned over to speak into his ear, voice low.

“We should go back to my place,” he’d said, and Ashton could only agree.

“We should,” he’d repeated, smiling a little bit.

Luke had surprised him when they got there, though—he wasn’t anything like the first time he’d gone home with Ashton, when he did kind of direct where he wanted things to go but was still very much submissive. No—this time, Luke seemed to want to call all the shots, and Ashton was shocked when he actually found the role reversal _stupid_ hot.

“I want you to strip and sit on the bed,” Luke had said to him, once they were in his room, “and I want you to let me do whatever I want to you. That cool?”

Ashton could smell Luke’s pheromones—they were driving him fucking insane. He was a goddamn master at focusing his scent at the exact right moment, knowing just when to use them to pique Ashton’s interest and arousal. “Cool,” Ashton said, voice tight, trying to resist Luke’s scent but entirely unable.

“Then strip,” Luke said, closing the door behind him and crossing his arms, watching as Ashton removed his clothes and left them in a pile on the floor. He took a step toward Luke, wanting to kiss him, taste him, just fucking _touch_ him, even, but Luke lifted a hand, his index finger raised to indicate Ashton shouldn’t come any closer.

“Ah,” he said, shaking his head. “The big bad alpha belongs on the bed,” Luke said.

Ashton gave Luke a look that he hoped conveyed that he’d pay for this at some point over the course of the evening, but he still did as he was told, climbing onto Luke’s bed, resting against his pillows. Luke waited until he was comfortably situated, and then removed his clothing as well before climbing onto the foot of the bed, opposite Ashton.

“How are you liking this so far?” Luke asked, spreading his legs a bit apart as he sat down on his knees, back perfectly straight—Ashton could tell it was the posture of someone who was, or had been, used to following orders. Apparently he wasn’t an omega just shy of rejecting his Status after all—this was seemingly all just part of a game Luke wanted to play.

“I don’t think many other alphas would let you get this far,” he answered, his eyes focusing on Luke’s dick, hanging heavy between his legs. He could already smell the beginnings of his slick, its sweet scent filling the room, emanating from him and arousing Ashton just by being present.

“That’s true,” Luke said, settling down but moving one hand to his cock. He stroked it slowly, not looking away from Ashton’s face. “You must be special.”

Ashton snickered and opened his mouth to speak, but Luke interrupted him—something other alphas also would definitely not let him get away with.

“Touch yourself,” he told Ashton. “Wanna see if I can get your knot up with you just watching me.”

A pointless endeavor, Ashton knew, because he could already feel his abdomen tingling, and he knew that his knot would begin to form just by having Luke in the room, his ass leaking slick, mere feet from him.

“Go ahead,” Ashton said, playing along because Luke wanted him to, but because _he_ wanted to also. Luke was the most interesting omega he’d ever come across—he’d be stupid to let this one get away. Without waiting for Luke to ask him again, he moved his hand around his dick, focusing on the shaft; he knew if he touched the head too much, his knot would swell sooner rather than later, and he didn’t want to disappoint Luke (or inflate his ego too much, either).

Ashton glanced up in time to see Luke grinning, a smile that was glad that Ashton was playing along, until he realized that the alpha was watching and the smile turned into a self-satisfied smirk.

“I remember your knot,” Luke said, holding Ashton’s gaze, though he saw Ashton’s eyes dip down to look at his lips as he spoke. “God, it felt huge.”

Ashton bit his lip. Luke was going straight for the throat.

“How tight did I feel around you?” he asked, moving his hand slowly over his length, thumb swiping over the head, before he dipped his free hand down behind his back, feeling his hole; he was only loose enough to slip one finger in, but when he pulled his finger out, a small deluge of slick dripped out after, his scent intensifying. He watched Ashton’s pupils dilate as it hit him.

“Really tight,” Ashton said, unable to give a better answer and taking a deep breath as he continued to work his hand on himself; he’d switched to rolling his wrist forward and back, his hand slipping sideways around his shaft. He’d begun leaking precome, facilitating his masturbation.

“You filled me up so good,” Luke said, tugging on his dick as he trailed his slick-covered finger up his front before putting it in his mouth. Contrary to what Ashton expected, which was an overly-lewd moan about how good he tasted, he just swallowed around his finger, then sighed softly, content. It wasn’t the first time Ashton had seen an omega taste his own slick, but it was the first time that he’d seen one so in love with himself that he seemed to get off on it.

“I was leaking you for hours after,” Luke said, and Ashton’s attention snapped back to him. He looked pointedly between Luke’s legs, where he’d lowered his hand again, apparently working his fingers into himself now. His scent grew even stronger and Ashton bucked his hips up into his hand. The tingling in his stomach was at least twice as intense as it had been when he’d first gotten on the bed, and he could tell he was about two statements away from Luke getting his knot up just with a little self-pleasure and dirty talk.

“I couldn’t help it,” Luke went on, and Ashton bit back a “Help what?” because he didn’t want to distract himself from the story. “I fingered myself when I got home after I left your place.”

Ashton moaned, the sound unbidden from his chest, and he hesitantly lowered his hand down to the base of his dick. Sure enough, his knot was beginning to bulge out. “Fuck,” he sighed, but Luke didn’t relent.

“I sucked my fingers clean,” Luke said, and to punctuate this, he pulled his fingers from his hole again. Ashton could see they were shiny-wet with slick. “I tasted you on me.” Luke made a point of licking both of his fingers individually; he gave Ashton a _show_ before he spoke again. “I liked it.”

“ _Fuck_ ,” Ashton said, louder this time.

“Wanna squeeze that knot into me, huh?” Luke asked.

Ashton pulled his hands away from his dick, needing to compose himself before he just jerked off to the sight of Luke before he was even inside of him. “Yeah.”

“I bet you do,” Luke said, and finally, taking pity on Ashton, leaned forward so he was on his hands and knees, crawling closer. “Wanna ride you this time,” he said. He straddled Ashton’s legs, and Ashton whimpered in a very un-alpha-like way when he felt droplets of Luke’s slick landing on his thighs.

Luke looked down between their bodies; Ashton’s knot wasn’t fully formed yet, but it wouldn’t take much longer, especially when Luke moved down on him. Ashton released his sheets and put his hands on Luke’s hips, squeezing them, trying to get him to lower his ass to his cock. More slick dripped out of Luke’s hole, small speckles of the liquid dotting Ashton’s legs.

“Check if I’m ready,” Luke ordered (because Ashton was far beyond pretending that Luke hadn’t taken complete control of him), and Ashton did, sliding his right hand from Luke’s hip back over his ass, palming his cheek before slipping his fingertips between his legs. He found Luke’s hole easily, slipping three fingers into it with no resistance at all. When he removed his fingers, a puddle of slick remained in his palm; smirking, he lifted his hand to Luke’s mouth.

Luke looked down at him, matching his smug expression, but then licked and sucked Ashton’s hand clean, his breath warm on his wet skin, a soft moan as he tasted himself on Ashton’s hand.

“You’re ready,” Ashton said, like Luke didn’t already know, like he hadn’t felt the number of fingers Ashton had used on him.

“You’re eager,” Luke countered, and pushed Ashton back just a little, to give himself room to move onto his cock. Ashton held his dick steady for Luke, who spread his legs as wide as he needed to, to sink onto Ashton’s cock.

It affected both of them right away; Luke clenched down on his cock before it was even fully inside of him, and Ashton rolled his hips up into his ass. 

“So big for me already,” Luke moaned, rolling his hips on top of Ashton’s lap, working his dick even further into his ass, the slight swelling of his knot moving easily in and out of his hole—it wasn’t big enough, yet, to catch on the rim, but Luke knew it wouldn’t be long before it was, and he _wanted_ it.

“So wet,” Ashton breathed, his lips kissing every possible spot he could reach of Luke’s chest, shoulders, and neck. “So damn wet, that’s how bad you wanted this, huh?” Ashton asked, and Luke nodded even though it didn’t require an answer—he couldn’t help but act obedient and subordinate with an alpha’s cock inside him.

“Yeah,” Luke said, his ass sliding up and down on Ashton as he raised and lowered himself, his thighs straining to keep up the pace he’d set for himself, but desperate to keep going because he _needed_ it, and Ashton _needed_ him, and they both needed _each other_ to get off.

“Gonna give you my knot,” Ashton murmured after he felt Luke dip down low on him, his hole stretching around the partially formed knot at the base of his dick; it would only be a matter of minutes, maybe less, before Luke took his knot fully and they’d both get the orgasm they were chasing after.

“Give it to me” Luke replied, pushing Ashton backward so he was reclined even further, his hands splaying out on his bare chest as he moved his hips even quicker now, Ashton’s thighs a wet mess as Luke’s slick cascaded over his legs, practically drenching both of them until he moved just right—if Ashton had quirked his hips upward, he really couldn’t be blamed in the slightest—and his knot, fully swollen and thick, snapped into Luke and _throbbed_.

Ashton came with a cry, his come bursting from his dick and filling Luke, who came shortly after, his own semen landing on Ashton’s stomach; it was a comically small amount compared to what Ashton was pumping into Luke, held firmly in place by his knot, which was stretching Luke so tightly around it that there was no hope for anything else to slip out of him until a bit of time had passed, and they were able to move apart.

Finally, Ashton’s orgasm subsided, the flow of come from his dick stopping, and he felt his cock deep inside Luke, still tight and warm around him, even moreso now that he had Ashton’s come locked inside of him too.

Luke laid on top of Ashton as best he could, his cheek against his shoulder, back bowed above him. After he’d been fucked like this, he always craved physical contact, which he supposed was thanks to his omega instincts wanting protection and security while still on his partner’s knot, when he couldn’t do anything to defend himself, as he was unable to move.

He had closed his eyes as soon as he laid across Ashton’s front, but he opened them again when he felt Ashton’s fingers threading in his hair, softly brushing through it. Ashton shifted himself a bit, sitting up straighter, so Luke could have some support and not be in such an uncomfortable position.

Truthfully, Luke was melting under Ashton’s touch, relishing in it, and he found that he wasn’t afraid to let it show—maybe because Ashton had been so kind as to go along with how Luke wanted to be in charge. He wasn’t mate material, much less _bonding_ material, but he would do for some fun every now and then.

“I want to see you again,” Luke said, sounding much more wistful than he meant to. Ashton’s knot was still in him; it hadn’t even begun to wane.

“I haven’t even left and you already want to see me again?” Ashton said, tone clearly poking fun at Luke.

“You’re a good lay,” Luke retorted, and looked up to meet Ashton’s eyes so he would know he was being serious—but that it also wasn’t the only reason Luke wanted him around.

“You’ll see me again,” Ashton said, and Luke nodded, resting his head on Ashton’s shoulder. “Promise.”


	3. Chapter 3

       **Chat Transcript . 22/09/15 . 20:45:37-21:05:35**

_20:45:37 » well i find that the coolest thing about hooking up with a beta is that they present differently to whoever it is they’re fucking_  
_20:45:44 » it’s sort of like those frogs from that movie_  
_20:45:50 « Jurassic Park?_  
_20:46:02 » like how they went from boy to girl if they needed to made but there was only other boy or girl frogs around_  
_20:46:03 » mate*_  
_20:46:05 » and yeah jurassic park_  
_20:47:31 « So you’ve hooked up with a beta before?_  
_20:47:50 » just that one time. we’re just friends now_  
_20:47:53 « And?_  
_20:48:37 » well he was an alpha to me obviously lol but he told me about how he got with this other alpha one time, and he like_  
_20:49:29 « …_  
_20:49:32 « Lisa. What?_  
_20:49:58 » sorry i was thinking about it lol it was hot what he was telling me_  
_20:50:07 « Tell me!_  
_20:51:22 » he was just saying how like when the alpha was with him he started leaking slick and the alpha was so into it and told him he wanted to find an omega to fuck too at the same time. it was hot_  
_20:55:29 » and like he knows how to make it feel good ofr an alpha or an omega_  
_20:55:30 » for*_  
_20:56:07 » because he’s been on both sides so he knows what feels good for an omega like me and for an alpha_  
_20:56:08 » like you_  
_21:04:48 « Sorry, I had to go get my cat back in the house._  
_21:04:56 « But, yeah. That is actually pretty hot._  
_21:05:00 » ehehe nicole_  
_21:05:04 » i could give you his number_  
_21:05:10 « Uh, I doubt he’d appreciate that._  
_21:05:13 » why not_  
_21:05:19 « He’s more than just his Status._  
_21:05:24 » so take him to dinner first LOL_  
_21:05:26 » sooooo worth it_  
_21:05:31 « …_  
_21:05:33 « Okay, what the hell._  
_21:05:35 « But you be cool about it, Lisa!_

* * *

The club really wasn’t Calum’s style, at all. It was too loud for him—his mother had always told him he was crazy when he said his ears were extra sensitive, but if only she could see him now.

Well—maybe not _right_ now, considering that the club he was in wasn’t just a club but was in fact a place to find someone to screw that night. He’d been getting desperate—popping his knot into his fist or one of the (much hardier and sturdier) sex toys he’d purchased was fun enough, but he wanted another body against his own, an omega that he could fuck into and see how his knot affected them.

It was a purely selfish instinct, but he viewed it as a mutual favor they’d be doing each other. Omegas wanted to be knotted, and he was an alpha with a knot to give. It was a win-win for whoever he picked up.

But not only was the music giving him a serious headache, the sheer amount of pheromones in the air wasn’t helping things at all. The omegas really dialed that shit up to 11 when there were alphas around, he guessed; the issue was that he honestly couldn’t tell which scent belonged to whom or if he was even attracted to any of them, because they were all mixed together and his nose seemed unable to get used to the plethora of odors he was smelling.

He made his way across the room, away from the dance floor, where he could smell what he could only describe as “imminent sex,” and approached the bar. The bartender, a tall, muscular woman who seemed to be an omega (he was going by her lack of a scent, meaning she was keeping her shit in check because she was working), approached him and gave him a smile.

“What can I get you, sugar?” she asked, looking down at him.

“Just a beer,” Calum said, nodding at the tap to her right. She picked up a glass from beneath the bar, turned it over and filled it, then placed it down in front of him.

Calum passed her a folded bill, then turned his back, though he stayed leaning on the bar to look out over the surging crowd. He shouldn’t have come here, or at the very least he shouldn’t have come alone. He had absolutely no idea where to begin, who to talk to (or even how to talk to them), and he wasn’t even used to having to differentiate so many different odors at once. The last thing he needed was to approach another alpha by mistake.

“You look lost!” a voice shouted next to his ear, startling Calum and causing him to slosh some of his beer out of his cup.

Calum turned to his right to see who had spoken to him and was met with the sight of a (strikingly attractive) guy, blonde hair and eyes that were a pale color—it was hard to tell exactly what shade they were in the constantly-oscillating lights of the bar,

“Are you?” he asked Calum, who shook his head, not quite sure what was happening. “You’re not?” the guy went on. “Because I would have bet money that you’re way out of your league here, pal.”

“I’m—I mean, I’m not lost in the sense that I meant to come in here,” Calum said, finally, and the guy snickered at him; apparently that was amusing to him. Good; he’d meant it as a joke.

“Right, ‘course you did,” he said.

Calum opened his mouth to ask the stranger his name, but he beat him to it.

“I’m Luke,” he said, leaning a bit closer. Calum caught his scent— _omega_. He was shrouding Calum in his pheromones, leaving literally no room to assume he wanted to do anything else but fuck—and it was affecting Calum so strongly that he honestly wasn’t sure they’d even make it outside before he was prepping this—this _Luke_ guy for his knot.

“Calum,” he choked out, remembering that after someone introduced themself, he should follow suit.

“Calum,” Luke repeated, and his name sounded like milk and honey in Luke’s voice; Calum could tell it was an attempt to seriously attract him, or at least he thought it was, being inexperienced in how people with Status hooked up.

“Uh...Luke,” Calum tried, but his voice didn’t sound nearly as good as Luke’s did. It sounded nervous, and shaky, but Luke’s physical proximity paired with his scent and the way he seemed to be trying goddamn hard to get Calum was fucking with his brain.

“Now that we’re acquainted,” Luke said, reaching out with a hand Calum didn’t even notice until it touched his wrist, wrapping around his arm, “why don’t we get out of here and become best friends?”

Calum nodded, wondering if Luke could tell he’d never done anything like this before. Either he had no idea or he didn’t mind in the slightest, because Luke turned away from Calum, walking back toward the front of the club. Calum knocked back his beer, downing most of what was left of it before he lost Luke in the crowd. Calum caught up to him at the coat check; Luke was just grabbing a leather jacket from the young man in the small alcove in the wall.

“You check anything?” Luke asked, and when Calum shook his head no, just nodded and turned again, shrugging his jacket on as they walked outside into the cool night air.

“I’ve never seen you in there before,” Luke said, waiting for Calum to begin walking, preferably back to his place.

“Uh, yeah,” Calum said, biting his lip and nodding, not getting the hint to pick a direction and then move in it. “I’ve never...been here before.” He smiled sheepishly at Luke, who seemed completely nonplussed by that statement.

“So, your place?” Luke said, changing the subject by not giving Calum an option of where they were going.

“Oh, um—yeah. Ok. We’ll have to kind of be quiet though,” Calum said, and Luke gave him a look that clearly stated he didn’t like that rule. “My roommate,” explained Calum, trying to look apologetic.

“I don’t do roommates,” Luke said, then quirked his head to the side. “Unless he’s into threesomes.” He paused, then laughed at the look on Calum’s face. “Kidding. Well—not really— _anyway_ ,” Luke went on, sensing that this was getting away from him. “My place is fine. It’s not too far.”

“It’s cool,” Calum said, wanting to agree to whatever Luke said, even though he wasn’t sure that omegas were usually this bossy to alphas. “Lead the way.”

Luke gave him a smirk, then turned and led Calum down the sidewalk a few blocks. “So—what brought you to lovely old Astraeus?” he asked, glancing over at Calum, inquiring about the club.

“Oh, um. Well,” he began, figuring he might as well just tell Luke, since they literally were only talking to hook up. “I actually...just Presented not that long ago. I’m just—”

“Seriously?” Luke asked, interrupting him. He stopped at a corner, even though the “Walk” symbol was displayed, and looked closely at Calum in the streetlight beams. “You don’t look that young.”

Calum felt his cheeks warm. “I’m not. I guess I was just late to the party, sorry,” he said, trying and failing to keep the snippy edge from his voice.

“No, it’s cool,” Luke said, though he still looked like maybe he didn’t quite believe Calum. “I guess I’m just honored to be your first.”

“I’m not—I’ve slept with people before,” Calum insisted, and Luke just nodded. Calum wished he could wipe that smug look off of his face. “Just not since I Presented.”

“‘Course,” Luke said, turning around again and sprinting across the street, even though the red “Don’t Walk” symbol was flashing now. Calum rushed to catch up with him as it switched over, and cars started rumbling past behind them.

“I’m serious,” Calum said, glaring at the back of Luke’s head as he finally matched pace with him again.

“Sure,” Luke said, stopping in front of an apartment building so suddenly Calum nearly walked into him. “I guess we’ll see.” He hopped lightly up the steps and unlocked the plate glass front door, looking back at Calum on the sidewalk, where he was deciding to either follow Luke or stay where he was wondering what the hell “I guess we’ll see” meant. Ultimately, he chose the former, climbing up the steps and following him into the well-lit hall, over to the elevator.

“This is a nice building,” Calum said, as the elevator doors opened and they stepped inside.

Luke nodded, shoving his hands into his jacket pockets. “Yeah, it’s pretty cool.”

“You live here alone?” Calum asked, looking at him, trying to avoid how the mirrored walls of the elevator created the illusion of infinity around them.

“Yeah,” Luke said, looking up at the dial above the doors, which showed they were just passing the third floor; his apartment was on the fifth.

The elevator chimed and Luke stepped out, brushing past Calum, and either he hadn’t gotten used to Luke’s scent or he was casting out his pheromones again, because Calum felt weak in the goddamn knees. He followed Luke, jerkily, down the corridor, stopping in front of the door that had a brass **5G** nailed to it. Luke unlocked the door and let Calum step in first, walking through the cloud of his scent, wanting to arouse the alpha as much as possible before they even got into his bedroom.

Calum waited for Luke to close up the door behind them before moving anywhere else into the apartment. The entire place smelled like Luke and whatever cologne he was wearing, though it was seriously overpowered by how hard he was attempting to attract Calum right now. Calum took a deep breath (which actually didn’t help matters) and turned to face Luke, who was in the process of taking off his jacket. Without looking at Calum, he hung it up on a hook mounted beside the front door, and then pushed past him.

“I mean, should we even bother with the ‘getting to know you’ crap or just skip right to the good stuff?” Luke asked, who got halfway to the hallway before he stopped to meet Calum’s eyes again.

“The good stuff?” Calum echoed, assuming that was what Luke wanted; sure enough, Luke chuckled a little and nodded.

“Right on. This way,” he said, nodding for Calum to follow him. He did so, turning into the room Luke had gone in, needing a second to compose himself at the door. He wasn’t sure if Luke’s scent was just more concentrated in the smaller area, or if he was purposely doing it, but either way, Calum could already feel his dick getting hard in his jeans, and he was absolutely certain that Luke was too fucking much for him. He’d gone to Astraeus in hopes of getting lucky, and what he’d gotten instead was more than he’d ever bargained for in his wildest dreams. He felt vaguely sure that Luke was going to ruin him for all other omegas tonight, but part of him was still pretty damn fine with that.

“Come here,” Luke said, standing next to his bed, the backs of his legs against the edge of the mattress.

Calum obeyed, even though his brain was telling him that omegas weren’t supposed to be in charge, walking closer to Luke because his dick was telling him that it didn’t matter who was in charge as long as he had a pair of hands on him sooner rather than later.

Calum stopped just short of letting his front press against Luke’s, and Luke only snickered a little before he was the one to close the distance between them. He didn’t kiss Calum, even though Calum tried for it, and instead ducked his head down to kiss Calum’s neck. It was enough for Calum—his body felt like it was alight, alive, perfect, and when Luke pulled back, Calum leaned into him, not wanting the contact to end.

“Clothes?” Luke asked, and Calum understood this to mean that Luke wanted them gone, so he pulled off his shirt, his arms awkwardly getting stuck in the long sleeves for a moment before he was able to discard it and start on unbuttoning his jeans. By the time he got those down around his knees and stepped out of them, Luke was already naked and on his bed, one hand on his chest, the other behind himself, doing something Calum couldn’t see—but then the scent of his slick reached Calum’s nose and he unintentionally groaned, the noise coming from low in his chest.

Luke laughed, but it didn’t make Calum feel self-conscious—it made him feel outstanding, like Luke didn’t just like him but _favored_ him, really _wanted_ him, so Calum shucked off his underwear too, climbing onto the bed beside Luke. 

Now that he was closer, Calum could tell what Luke was doing. Initially, he’d thought he was fingering himself—but he wasn’t. He was holding his ass cheeks apart, letting his slick slide out of himself in waves, dripping from his loose hole onto the bedsheets, just wanting to arouse Calum with the smell of it, and fuck, was it working.

“Can I—” Calum began to ask, but stopped himself. Luke raised one of his eyebrows, inquisitive, and nodded, ready to say yes to anything Calum wanted.

“Can you what?” Luke asked, a coy smile playing at his lips as he watched Calum lean just a bit to the side from where he was standing on his knees, wanting to see Luke play with his own asshole.

“Taste you,” Calum said, giving in, because the sight and scent of it were too much for him.

Luke’s fingers actually faltered, because he wasn’t expecting Calum to want to eat him out. He would say yes, ordinarily, but he wasn’t sure if he wanted to yet.

“Yes,” Luke said, and Calum moved a bit closer to him, still on his knees, but Luke lifted his free hand from his chest and held up one finger to stop him. “But it depends.”

“On what?” Calum asked, impatient, not wanting to be told to wait when he wanted something.

“On whether you want to just taste me, or if you want to taste yourself _with_ me.”

Calum looked at him, dumbstruck, his mind trying to play catchup with his ears, before Luke spoke again, taking pity on his aroused mind, not able to think straight at all.

“If you fuck me, knot me, pump me full...I taste even better than without it,” Luke said—and it wasn’t a lie, or at least he didn’t think so. He’d sometimes let his fingers slip inside himself after an alpha fucked him and then lift them to his mouth, sucking them clean, reveling in the taste of his own sweet slick mixed with the salty come of an alpha.

Calum’s abdomen clenched at the thought of licking Luke’s ass clean after he’d fucked him, and he couldn’t help but nod, vehemently, because now that Luke had suggested it, it only seemed like the right course of action.

He’d been so wrapped up in what Luke was saying, he hadn’t even noticed that Luke had begun to finger himself, testing how loose he was, but before he could even recognize it, the scent of Luke’s slick became even stronger. He moved his hand from behind his back; three of his fingers were so coated in the liquid, it was dripping down his wrist and forearm and before Calum could stop himself, he had ducked forward and licked it off of Luke’s skin, up to his fingers. Luke had intended to lick his fingers off himself, but watching Calum do it, watching Calum suck on his fingers, lips moving over the tips as he pulled back, was a fucking sight to see, and he almost broke his unspoken, self-imposed “no kissing” rule just to taste himself on Calum’s tongue, but he didn’t, because this was a one night stand, and he just plain had more self-control than that.

“Sorry,” Calum muttered; the look that Luke was giving him was a mixture of surprise and intrigue, with maybe a dash of disappointment that he hadn’t gotten to do the hand-cleaning himself, but he just shook his head.

“Don’t be,” he said, lowering his wet hand down to wrap around Calum’s cock, feeling for his knot, which had to be forming by now. “Well, well. There you are.”

Calum shuddered—he’d grown quite accustomed to touching his knot, liking to do it even before he had the fucktoy sleeve around his dick, but having someone else touch him there was another thing entirely. A foreign hand moving over his most sensitive spot was a sensation he’d never experienced before, and he wasn’t sure he ever wanted it to stop.

“Feel so big already,” Luke was saying, opening his legs a little more where he was kneeling, wanting Calum to smell how ready he was to take him, how badly he wanted his cock and his knot.

“I—” Calum said, but the word dragged off into a soft moan. Luke licked his lip and reached up with his free, clean hand, to push his fingers through Calum’s mop of curly hair, tucking it back behind his ear, even though it didn’t seem to want to stay there.

“Will you fuck me now, Cal? I’m ready. And you’re…” He gave Calum’s knot a squeeze, some precome leaking from the tip, rolling down the underside of the head and shaft. “More than ready.”

“Yeah,” Calum said, though he wasn’t sure which part of what Luke had said he was agreeing to.

“How do you want me?” Luke asked, voice quiet; a calculated move on his part. He was beginning to really believe Calum had never fucked anyone since he’d Presented, and giving him the illusion of a choice was the nicest Luke was probably ever going to get.

“Um,” Calum said, his brain running through every single position he’d ever seen or heard about, but all of them seemed too much for right now.

Luckily, Luke jumped right back in with a suggestion. “How about a classic? Doggy style,” he asked with a grin.

Calum just nodded, because in a moment he was going to get to see Luke’s ass, facing up at him, and—

 _Fucking fuck._ Luke had quickly turned over and the sight was even better than Calum had imagined it could be. Luke’s ass was spread wide for him, his hole already open without even being held as such, and his slick was pooling inside him—Calum could see it. He moved his hands to Luke’s hips reverently, like he couldn’t quite believe what he was looking at, like he was on the verge of a religious experience.

“Go ahead, Cal,” Luke’s voice reached his ears, quiet, just slightly urging him on, and Calum took a shaky breath through his mouth before he raised himself up a little to slip the head of his dick into Luke.

It was quite literally unlike anything he’d ever felt in his life. Luke’s slick felt like velvet, soft and warm and—oh, Jesus, it was moving around his cock, being forced out of him as Calum’s dick moved in, displacing it, and it rolled in huge droplets down the backs of Luke’s thighs. Calum was fully seated in him within seconds, his knot nestled comfortably in Luke’s hole, not swollen enough yet to lock them together.

“Holy—holy— _Luke_ ,” Calum breathed, his entire body electrified; he was afraid to move, afraid that anything and everything would make him come before either of them were ready, but Luke was below him, encouraging him, telling him to move, and Calum’s alpha instincts, again, were not about to let an omega tell him what to do.

He yanked his hips backward, nearly moving all the way out of Luke, before snapping his hips back in, more of Luke’s delicious-smelling slick gushing out of his hole, smearing all over his ass and the front of Calum’s hips, and it only spurred him on, making him take up a harsh, speedy pace, fucking into Luke with abandon, the noises between their bodies wet and lewd and _amazing_. Calum’s breath was coming ragged long before his abdomen began tensing up, and Luke was writhing below him, his hands curled into fists, slamming his ass back against Calum’s front with just as much vigor.

It took longer than Calum thought it would, but still a very short time, for his knot to swell enough, and he was still trying to pull out of Luke to fuck back into him before he realized that he could barely move anymore and his knot had fully expanded; Luke clenched down on him and Calum fucked his hips forward, popping his swollen cock into place.

Luke’s ass was so tight around him that when he came, he felt like his dick was about to be pinched off; they were joined so securely that he was almost afraid that they would never part. Calum briefly registered somewhere in the middle of his orgasm that Luke clenched down on him in what must have been his own climax, but Calum was still riding the high, still coming, still pumping Luke full of come just like he’d wanted, and then finally, he finished, his hands clamped around Luke’s sides to support himself even though he felt like he was going to collapse.

“It’ll be a few minutes,” Luke said, “and I don’t mind if you stay on top of me, but I need to—I need to lie down,” he went on, voice heavy with breathlessness. “Ok?”

“Ok,” Calum agreed, and moving very slowly, they both gingerly moved until Luke was lying flat on the bed, Calum on top of him for a moment, before he wrapped one arm around Luke and shifted both of them onto their sides, so Calum was spooning Luke.

They laid in silence for a few minutes; Calum didn’t mind and let his eyes slip shut, basking in the feeling of how it felt to be so intimately close to another person, but Luke was a little annoyed he hadn’t made any quips yet. Quips were his thing, _especially_ post-coitus.

Every few minutes, Luke would twitch his hips forward to see if Calum’s knot had begun to go down, but every time, it hadn’t.

“How long do you usually take?” Luke asked after what he estimated had to be nearly ten minutes.

“Take to what?” Calum asked, and Luke turned his upper body as best he could to look at him.

“You really have never done this before, have you?” Luke said, actually sounding genuinely surprised, forgetting to sound dickish.

“I—I _have_ , just not since I Presented, I told you,” he insisted, and Luke just licked his lip.

“Ok. So how long does it usually take for your knot to...unknot?” He huffed a short laugh.

Calum blinked. “I’ve...I mean, I’ve never timed it, but I guess usually about this long.” He tried to pull his hips back, but he was still stuck deep inside of Luke. “Maybe a little longer.”

Luke squirmed, but finally settled his back against Calum’s front, where he remained, quiet, until he was able to move his hips away from Calum’s and not drag the other boy forward with him.

“There you go,” Calum said, letting Luke move off of him before pushing himself up so he was sitting beside where Luke was lying.

Calum watched as Luke shifted onto his back, his thighs still wet with slick, come dripping from his hole. He couldn’t tear his eyes away from what a debauched mess Luke looked like. It was even worse when Luke reached down and hooked his hands under his knees, tugging his legs up to open himself up even further for Calum.

“Go ahead,” was all he had to say, his ass completely open for Calum, who had been hopeful that Luke would still let him. He moved onto his stomach, propping himself up on his elbows, and practically buried his face in Luke’s ass, lapping at the come and slick. Luke was shuddering each time Calum’s tongue made contact with his skin, and when Calum’s hands moved to rest on either of his ass cheeks, he just laughed quietly in outright pleasure.

Calum sucked Luke’s rim, moaning softly at the taste of both of them mixing together, his own come and Luke’s sweet, sweet slick—he was right, because of course he was, but it tasted phenomenal. He pressed sloppy, wet kisses to Luke’s hole, still wide open, and then to his thighs.

Luke watched him, watched as the alpha between his legs serviced _him_ , pleasured _him_ , and grinned to himself as Calum moved back down to lick him again and again, his tongue slipping into his hole, fucking him shallowly with it. Calum looked up at Luke, meeting his eyes, before he lifted himself up and crawled over him, leaning down to take Luke’s lips in a kiss before Luke had the presence of mind to move away, but once Calum’s mouth was on his, he found that he didn’t have the impulse to push him off or turn his head.

They kissed, softly at first, but then Luke was licking and sucking Calum’s lips, wanting to taste the pair of them, and Luke released his legs, letting Calum settle down on top of him as Luke’s hands explored his back, their bare cocks rubbing together.

Calum broke the kiss first, looking down at Luke, who was smirking back up at him. He looked like he’d just made a decision.

“What?” Calum asked, voice low.

“You,” Luke said, smirking, and tapping Calum on the nose. “You’re a keeper.”


	4. Chapter 4

       **Message Board Post . Started 14/02/2016 . Thread Title: “FUCK BETAS” . 136 Replies . *HOT TOPIC* . Thread Locked by Moderator**

_Posted 14/02/2016 06:53:57AM by aoflbe  
does anyone else agree? fuck betas man im telling you._

_they really think there something special coming around pretending to be like an alpha and an omega at the same time and then trying to steal our alphas from us? that shit isn’t cool and i realy think there needs to be some kind of laws in place where a beta can’t just come in and act like they belong in a relationship when an alpha ALREADY HAS an omega. like what do the betas think that were that un important to our alphas that they can take our place?_

_its just really fucked up how betas are supposed to be super rare so when one of them sniffs around an alpha the alpha gets like all wrapped up in it and wants them too. like an omega isnt enough? i am enough & we are enough and i thik we need to take this shit back from them. i’m literally over my alpha being preoccupied with this idea that we need a beta to really be happy. its not fair to me._

_i know someone else has to agree. they need to make some kind of law or at least like an unofficial rule that betas need to fine THEIR OWN alphas and stop trying to take an innocent omega’s alpha from them._

_FUCK BETAS!!!!!!!!!!!!_

* * *

Calum, whether he knew it or not (and Luke was inclined to believe it was “not”) had fucked something up with Luke. Never before had he been in a position where he was preoccupied with thoughts of one particular person, especially not someone that he’d fucked before he learned their last name. (He still wasn’t totally sure he had ever learned it, actually.)

But there it was all the same. Luke, in the weeks that had passed since he met (and repeatedly slept with) Calum, he’d begun to want to spend time with him without necessarily doing anything sexual, and it was a strange position, one Luke didn’t expect to find himself in after he swore off monogamy and serious dating when he was 15. He just wasn’t a one-alpha omega. That was just how it was.

Except, Calum.

Shit.

–

“Are you ok?”

Luke glanced up at Ashton, who was currently settled between his legs, and just a moment before had been lapping at the head of his cock. Two of his fingers were still curled into his hole; it was loose enough to take three, already, but Ashton had said he wanted to feel how wet Luke was, and then one thing led to another, and before Luke knew it, Ashton was swallowing down his cock and massaging his prostate, slick pouring out of him and creating a puddle on the bedsheets.

“I’m fine,” Luke answered, answering a question he wasn’t even sure Ashton had asked, because while he was enjoying what was happening to his body, physically, mentally he wasn’t really there.

“Are you sure?” Ashton asked, slipping his fingers from Luke’s ass and sitting up on his knees, Luke’s legs on either side of him.

“Yeah?” Luke asked, though he knew exactly why Ashton was asking, so he got defensive. “What, worried you’re losing your touch?”

Ashton snickered and looked down, blatantly ignoring the jab. “Not at all. You just don’t really seem...present.”

“I’m present!” Luke insisted, shifting himself so he was sitting up a little, more at eye level with Ashton. As he moved, more slick dribbled out of him, strengthening his scent, but Ashton didn’t even flinch.

“You just don’t seem into it,” Ashton said, moving a little bit away from Luke and sitting down, so no part of him wouldn’t end up in his slick—if they were stopping, and he really thought they were, he didn’t want to end up drenched in it if he didn’t have to be.

“Sorry,” Luke said, and Ashton looked genuinely surprised that he apparently admitted to not feeling like fucking, when every other experience he’d had indicated that all Luke wanted to do ever was just that.

“What’s going on?” Ashton asked, hoping Luke would tell him. They weren’t that close, or anything, but it was hard to sleep together as often as Luke and Ashton did and not develop at least a casual sort of friendship, where maybe they weren’t the most important person and talking daily (or even weekly) was optional, but seeing them happy was still better than the alternative.

“I met someone,” Luke said, then looked up, glaring at Ashton, when the alpha started laughing out loud. “What’s so funny?” Luke demanded.

“You _met someone_?” Ashton repeated, shaking his head and grinning. “You, met someone. Are you the same Luke Hemmings whose motto might as well be ‘No strings?’”

“Shit happens,” Luke said, not willing to get worked up over it.

“Why are you still sleeping with me, then?” Ashton asked, more serious now, leaning to the side, his palm flat on the bed.

“He...doesn’t really know that I feel...a certain way,” Luke admitted, and Ashton snickered at his word choice.

“What, you mean he doesn’t know you like him?” Ashton said, and Luke made a face at _his_ word choice. “Are you going to tell him?”

“Maybe,” Luke said. “I don’t know.”

Ashton bit his lip; he wouldn’t go so far as to say that he _liked_ Luke, but he definitely felt a specific kind of fondness for him that he wouldn’t have minded exploring further if Luke ever decided to change his mind about relationships. Now, though, it seemed like Ashton had missed the boat on that one. He should be the bigger man, here, and tell Luke to go for it. Just because he couldn’t have a chance with Luke didn’t mean some other alpha shouldn’t either.

“You should tell him,” Ashton said, and Luke looked up at him, bright blue eyes wide and questioning, unsure if he should listen to the advice. Ashton continued, “He must be something else if he managed to sway you, you slut.” He grinned, and Luke laughed too, kicking Ashton on the hip.

“If I’m a slut so are you,” Luke laughed, then laid back on the bed, folding his hands beneath his head, his arms bent on either side.

“Guilty as charged,” Ashton agreed, then nudged Luke’s leg with his fingertips. “Want me to get out of here?”

Luke considered it—maybe he should have asked Ashton to leave, but he wasn’t sure if he wanted to be alone to work through whatever feelings he had cultivated for Calum; he appreciated the distraction that Ashton provided.

“Nah,” he said, finally. “Want to get cleaned up and order a pizza?”

–

_Have you ever had a threesome_

Calum was staring at the text message Luke had sent him like he had forgotten how to read, because that was how incomprehensible the words were to him. A threesome? Where had this come from? Calum scrolled up through the conversation they’d had just four days prior. Luke was telling him his mum’s birthday was soon and he needed to buy her a gift, but he wasn’t sure if a bouquet of flowers was good enough.

Just Calum telling him that his own mum loved flowers, then nothing for four days, and now threesomes. One did _definitely_ not segue into the next.

_have you?_ Calum asked in return, wondering if maybe Luke was testing him, or something, for some reason.

_Yeah, but i’m asking if you have. I kind of have this guy who wants to and i thought you’d maybe be into it_

Again, Calum stared at his phone. He blinked a few times, and then it vibrated in his hand; Luke had texted him again.

_He’s an alpha too_

_is that safe? like if we’re both alphas wouldn’t that be_ Calum sent that, mid-sentence, and then sent another, after he thought of the best phrase for it. _not smart_

_Lol. No. You’ll both get to fuck me so i’m not worried. You could probably even both fuck me at once if you wanted. You know how loose i get_

Calum choked on his own saliva when he read that text, because he wasn’t expecting that sort of shit from Luke, even though he knew that he probably totally should have.

_So you in?_ Luke had asked when Calum had regained his composure enough to look at his phone.

Hesitating another moment, Calum took a breath before tapping out his answer and sending it.

_yeah_

–

Calum studied his reflection in the mirror hung on the back of his closet door, leaning his head to one side. What was a person supposed to wear to a threesome? He’d chosen a button-down shirt and jeans, but like—was that right? He had no idea, and he also sort of hated the fact that he was stressing it so hard, because it didn’t matter. Luke wouldn’t care what he was wearing, and from the way he made it sound, they would not be wearing their clothes for very long. So.

Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes, shook his head, and shut his closet door. What he was wearing was fine (or at least that was what he was telling himself).

He needed to take the bus across town to get to Luke’s apartment, but given the sheer amount of booty calls they’d had since they met, it came like second nature to him now; he could probably navigate there with his eyes closed.

Luke buzzed Calum inside the building when he arrived. He took the elevator up and headed down the hall to Luke’s apartment, but when he knocked, the door wasn’t opened by Luke. It was opened by another guy, tall, with dirty blonde hair and a smile that almost made Calum’s heart skip a beat, and his scent clearly said _alpha_ , even if Calum hadn’t already known his Status.

“Hiya! You must be Calum,” the other alpha said, and Calum nodded, taking the hand he had offered for a shake.

“Yeah, hi,” Calum said, voice low.

“I’m Ashton,” he said, stepping back to let Calum in, and closing the door behind him. “Nice to meet you.”

Calum laughed a little, nervous, at how hilarious it was. They were meeting for the first time and would probably be fucking within the next...probably five minutes, given Luke’s penchant for speeding this stuff along.

“You too,” Calum said, smiling at Ashton outwardly, but inwardly wondering where the hell Luke was. It wasn’t like Calum didn’t know how to meet new people and make small talk, but having Luke there would have made this entire thing just...so much easier.

As though he’d read Calum’s mind somehow, Ashton cleared his throat and gestured down the hall toward Luke’s room. “Um, so, yeah. Luke sent me to grab you, so we can just head into his room. He was gonna like...set up, or whatever.”

“Set up?” Calum asked, looking at Ashton, incredulous.

“Set up,” Ashton repeated, using air quotes this time. “His words. I don’t know. Maybe he’s lighting candles or something.” He laughed, and Calum did too—Ashton’s laugh was a little infectious.

“Ok, well, let’s go,” Calum said, awkwardly taking a step toward Luke’s room, making sure Ashton was following before he moved too far.

Ashton fell into step behind him, and when Calum reached Luke’s bedroom door, which was mostly closed, he pushed it open, and then immediately wished that he’d at least done it slower, because just like last time, Luke’s scent was overwhelming. It was wild, how much it affected him, and Calum hadn’t even seen him yet.

“Hey, Cal,” Luke said, and Calum noticed he was already on the bed, naked, legs spread wide, his hole not opened up much just yet. “I was going to get started without you, but then I thought it’d be more fun to let you two take care of that for me.” He paused. “Come over here.”

Calum vaguely registered that Luke was now giving _two_ alphas orders, but what was much more striking to him was that they _both_ were listening. There was a lot to be said for an omega like Luke who knew how intoxicating he was, and used it to his advantage when he wanted something.

The two of them approached Luke’s bed, where he was leaning against the wall, each of them stopping by one of his feet. Luke looked up at Ashton, then Calum, whose eyes were wandering all over his body. Luke was grinning widely, and he shifted his hips forward a little; a small stream of slick trickled out of his hole and down between his cheeks.

“Fuck,” Calum said, and Ashton huffed beside him, apparently agreeing.

“I feel like you two are wearing an awful lot to do that,” Luke joked, and it only took another moment before Ashton and Calum were pulling their clothes off. Calum unbuttoned his shirt as he pushed his jeans down, kicking off his shoes and socks as he stepped out of them, while Ashton tugged his shirt off over his head and threw it aside, pushing his pants off, along with his underwear. Calum, in some attempt at preserving some of his modesty, maybe, had left his underwear on. Luke snickered.

“Shy?”

Calum shook his head, even though he sort of was. “No.”

“It’s cool,” Ashton said, moving closer to Calum and pressing his front against his back, hands on his waist; he placed a soft kiss to Calum’s shoulder. “Let him take his time, Luke.”

“I don’t care how long he takes,” Luke said, smirking. “But let him go so I can kiss him.”

Ashton, completely unperturbed that Luke wanted to kiss Calum but had never once kissed him, bit the back of Calum’s shoulder playfully, then gave him a gentle push toward the bed. Calum’s knees hit the mattress and he managed to make his awkward stumbling look smooth, like he meant to lean forward. He moved onto his hands and knees and crawled toward Luke, stopping once his hands were on his bare thighs, kneading the skin with his thumbs and able to tell when more slick seeped out of him by the scent of it. He could smell Ashton’s arousal too, behind him, into watching another alpha with an omega, apparently; his pheromones were almost as strong as Luke’s, and both of their scents together were like heaven to Calum.

Squeezing down on Luke’s thighs, he closed the distance between their lips; Calum kissed like each time was their first time, and Luke couldn’t get enough of it, of his soft lips and the way sometimes, depending on how they moved their heads, he could feel the tip of Calum’s nose brush against his, or his eyelashes on his cheek. He wanted to feel the way that Calum made him feel which, for someone like Luke, was uncharted and slightly frightening territory, but that just made him want to brave it even more.

Calum’s lips parted Luke’s, their tongues moving together, and they both felt the bed dip down behind Calum as Ashton moved onto it with them.

“Hot as fuck,” he mumbled, his hands moving over Luke’s legs, the parts that he could reach around Calum’s body, before he lifted his hands to Calum’s sides again, feeling the muscles in his back before moving down to his hips.

“Mm,” Luke intoned, pulling away from Calum’s kiss to look over his shoulder at Ashton; Calum turned a little too. “Take them off him,” Luke said, licking his lip. “I want to see his knot. And yours.” He moaned a little, despite himself. “Fuck, want to see you both side by side. Gonna suck you both.” He touched Calum’s shoulder, rubbing it, but kept his eyes on Ashton’s. “Gonna suck you while Cal knots me, then I’m gonna suck Cal while you do.”

The three of them took a moment to bask in that; Ashton was the first to snap out of it, his hands curling into the waistband of Calum’s underwear. He pulled them down as quickly as he could—Calum leaned forward to kiss Luke again, which only facilitated what he was doing, and stopped once they were around Calum’s knees. Ashton moved to stand on his own knees, leaning over Calum to kiss his neck, his shoulder, even leaning even further into him and nosing him out of the way to try and kiss Luke—who, to his surprise, allowed it.

Ashton tasted Luke in a way he never had before, in a way much more innocent than any other, and yet still salacious, because it was Luke. He kissed Luke, over and over, while Calum’s lips dragged over Luke’s cheek and neck and shoulder, until Ashton was struggling to hold the position—he pulled back and settled himself down behind Calum again, ready to move to the side to continue what he’d just been doing, except—

Calum’s cock was hanging heavy between his legs, the knot at the base barely formed, just slightly wider than the rest of the shaft, and he was leaking an obscene amount of precome for what they were doing—which, he supposed, was all well and good, except for the fact that his hole appeared to be leaking slick too. His thighs were coated in it, and Ashton couldn’t help but stare for a second. Luke and Calum were both too distracted with each other to notice what Ashton was doing, but the longer he took in what he was seeing between Calum’s legs, the more interested his dick became. Slowly, he reached out to trail two fingers up the inside of Calum’s thigh. Calum pulled away from Luke, glancing back over his shoulder, just as Ashton circled his hole with two fingers, pushing just the tips inside of him. Slick coated them immediately, dripping out from between them as he pulled them out.

“What was th—” Calum asked, and Luke leaned a little to the side to see Ashton beyond him.

“You’re a beta?” Ashton asked in return, looking up from his hand to meet Calum’s eyes.

“What?” Calum and Luke asked, both at the same time, though Luke’s was much more vicious while Calum’s sounded confused. Desperate.

“Slick,” Ashton said, the only word he could get out, and held out his two fingers so Calum could see how wet his fingers were.

“From me?” Calum asked, as Luke put his hands on his shoulders and pushed him backwards—it wasn’t rough in the slightest, but it wasn’t a kind gesture either. Calum looked at him, a little shocked, before turning back to Ashton as Luke moved away from him, climbing off of his bed. It wasn’t _really_ the smartest move—his own slick cascaded down his legs, but he wasn’t paying it any mind, and neither were Ashton or Calum.

“What the fuck,” Luke spat at him.

“What?” Calum asked, sounding unsure, not like he didn’t know the answer to Luke’s question, but like he didn’t even know what question was being asked.

“You’re a _beta_?” Luke asked, looking from Calum to Ashton, who still had Calum’s slick on his fingers; he hastily wiped them off on the bedsheets, like having it on his person made him complicit.

“I—No! I’m an alpha,” he looked at Ashton too. “I have a knot,” he said, pointing to his dick. Luke and Ashton both looked—even though Luke knew from experience—and it was plain to see: His cock was swollen at the base.

“Cal,” Ashton said, his voice soft while Luke made an indignant noise to the side. “You’re...making slick. Feel it for yourself.”

Calum looked at Ashton for a moment longer, then at Luke, who wouldn’t meet his gaze. Despite being embarrassed and a little bit anxious, scared maybe, he sat up a little straighter and reached behind his back, tucking his fingers between his ass cheeks, and frowned when the found that they dipped into his hole easily, and that he was _wet_ , just like Ashton said.

His breathing picked up a bit, coming thin and quick, and he looked at Ashton like, somehow, he would know what to do.

“I—” Calum began, but Luke interrupted him.

“I want you both to leave. Please,” he said, and it really sounded like he was trying his hardest not to be a jerk, but was just on this side of failing. He snatched up his underwear and stepped into them, quickly.

“Luke,” Ashton protested, but Luke crossed his arms (which was hilarious, because his dick was still chubbed up) and shook his head.

“Please. I’m asking nicely.” His tone was anything but, but at least he was saying please.

Ashton climbed off the bed, followed by Calum, who glanced over at Luke.

“Can I just—use your bathroom?” he asked, sheepish, while Ashton dressed himself in silence.

Luke looked like he wanted to say absolutely fucking not, but Ashton gave him a look Calum couldn’t see, so he just shrugged and then nodded.

“Fine. Go ahead.”

Ashton watched as Calum gathered up his clothes, his own slick dripping down his thighs. After Calum left the room, Ashton tried to speak to Luke, but he just held up a hand to stop him, gaze focused on his bed.

“No,” Luke said, cutting him off before he could say anything. “He lied about his Status. I don’t like liars.”

Ashton bit his lip, then tried again. “Are you sure it’s not because he’s a beta and you’re an omega?”

Luke’s head swiveled to look at Ashton so quickly Ashton was surprised he didn’t get whiplash. “Are you being serious right now? That has nothing to fucking do with it.”

Ashton crossed his arms, shrugged, and then lowered his arms again, spreading them in a gesture of surrender, or defeat. “Can’t blame me for asking. A lot of omegas don’t like betas.”

“I don’t give a fuck that he’s a beta,” Luke said, and in Ashton’s opinion, he was protesting just a little too much for it to be true. He himself certainly wasn’t nearly as upset that Calum hadn’t disclosed his true Status, partly because he didn’t believe that Calum even knew. He’d been surprised, and no one was a good enough actor to pull his reaction off. The look on his face…

“Ok,” Ashton acquiesced, shaking his head a little. “Ok.”

Calum’s head poked into the room from the hall. “Um,” he began.

“Bye,” Luke said, final, without looking at Calum, who Ashton watched just nod and take off back toward the front door.

“Bye, Luke,” Ashton said, but Luke wasn’t looking at him either. Ashton hurried to catch up with Calum at the elevator, slamming Luke’s apartment door behind him.

Calum looked up when Ashton joined him at the double doors; he gave him a small smile that didn’t reach his eyes and a nod. “Hey.”

“Do you want to go somewhere?” Ashton asked, and Calum gave him a look bordering on hurt and disgusted. “To talk,” he clarified, stressed really, but Calum shook his head.

“I think I need to think before I can talk,” he said, and Ashton nodded; he didn’t understand what was going on for Calum, but he could understand that.


	5. Chapter 5

       **An excerpt from an anonymous thinkpiece, “Why You Should Change Your Mind About Betas.” First printed January 1996.**

_[...] The search for happiness and fulfillment is universal. It’s what we, as people, are constantly on the lookout for, and the important thing is to recognize it when we see it. To reach out and take the opportunity when we can, instead of denying ourselves the joy we deserve._

_Of course, astute readers understand based on the entire direction of this discussion, that I’m referring to the ABO Trinity. As a beta myself, I can tell you it isn’t easy. The opinion of many people I meet daily is that I need to remove myself from the loving relationship I’ve found myself in, that what I’m doing is wrong, somehow, that I myself am an abomination, a kind of pox on the (what surely must be) stronger relationship between the alpha and omega that I share a bed with._

_I can also tell you this is false. It’s wrong to assume that you know better than a person directly involved in something in which you are not, but what makes it even worse is when you assume you know better than_ everyone _. I was reluctant to enter into a Trinity with my current partners, not because I knew I would be chided for it (I am constantly chided for my outspokenness about my Status), but because I care about them, and I didn’t want them to suffer like I do by being associated with me. Thankfully, they pushed my fears aside and assured me they wanted to give it a try anyway._

_Nothing that we do is one-sided. I did not force my way into their relationship, driving a wedge between an alpha and an omega. We entered into this all on our own, of our own free will, the three of us nervous and excited but most of all, we did it out of love. When we made the decision to bond, it was because it worked so well, and now, when I lie in bed at night, I can feel their heartbeats alongside mine, thrumming in my chest, and I know that I’m not the wrong one. I’m not the abomination. Anyone else who has ever felt anything like this knows that it’s unequivocally_ right _._

_Our Trinity is the most satisfying experience of my life. It makes me feel complete, like before I didn’t even know myself, but now I do, and I know two other people more completely than I could have ever hoped for, too. It’s like we were written in the stars and finally, when we found each other, we’ve completed a constellation that’s shiny and complex and perfect in innumerable ways. It’s like just as much as we are within the universe, as it is made up of us—we are made up of it, and the universe is within us. [...]_

* * *

“Can I just—use your bathroom?” Calum asked, voice quiet, while Ashton put his clothes back on next to him, not saying anything. Calum couldn’t fault him for that, really—they didn’t know each other, but it was kind of hard not to see Ashton as the bearer of bad news, since he was the one who had noticed Calum leaking slick.

Luke’s face clearly stated that he wanted Calum gone, but instead of insisting that Calum leave, he just nodded his head and spoke in a monotone, unhappy voice. “Fine. Go ahead.”

Calum turned to pick his clothes up, grimacing as he felt his slick rolling in fat droplets down his legs, and as soon as he straightened up, he left the room, not looking back at either of them.

He found Luke’s bathroom quickly enough, and shut the door behind him much louder than he meant to. Not that it mattered—he was pretty sure Luke was finished with him now, which…

Placing his clothes in the sink, he cleaned himself up as best he could, making sure to wipe his thighs off before getting dressed. He pulled his clothes on and once he was dressed again, leaned on the countertop, studying his reflection in the mirror. He looked exactly the same as he had an hour ago when he’d left his apartment, so how the fuck could his world have turned completely upside down so quickly? He’d thought—he’d _known_ —he was an alpha, but here he was. A beta. He was stuck in between.

Calum took a deep breath, searching his own eyes for answers, wanting to understand how this had happened, what it meant, but he couldn’t make sense of it. And now Luke, the guy who he’d been regularly sleeping with, was probably cutting him off for good. Calum was a good person—he didn’t deserve that. Was his Status really so bad? He’d never known a beta personally before, but all the shit he saw about them in the media, the nasty comments sometimes he overheard in public, it all seemed overstated and unfair. Suddenly knowing he was going to hear all of those things about himself made him feel ten times worse.

He ran the tap, letting the water warm before he splashed his face, wanting to make himself feel something other than...nothing.

–

“I think I need to think before I can talk,” Calum told Ashton, following his invitation to “go somewhere,” and instead of pushing, Ashton just nodded. They rode the elevator downstairs together, but when they reached the sidewalk, Ashton grabbed Calum’s arm, but just as quickly let go.

“Um, listen,” he said, and Calum turned to look at him, waiting for him to speak. “Just, I mean. Do you want to take my number? We can talk. Later on.”

“I’m good,” Calum said, shaking his head and turning away again, but Ashton’s hand was back on his arm, and this time it stayed there to keep Calum from leaving.

“Please, take it? You’re...I mean, if it was me, I’d want someone to talk to.”

“What makes you think I don’t have someone to talk to?” Calum asked, challenging Ashton, even though he wasn’t even angry—he just felt on the defensive.

“I’m sure you do. I just meant...I was there. You know. When you…” he trailed off, shaking his head. “It just might be easier to talk to me, since I know everything already.”

“You don’t know anything,” Calum said, and he really wasn’t even sure why he was fighting with Ashton, because he was right: It would be easier to talk to him than another person, at least for right now.

“Just—just let me give you my number, ok? You don’t have to give me yours. You don’t have to call me if you don’t want to,” Ashton said, and he was pleading now, really wanting Calum to take his number.

“Fine,” Calum snipped, pulling his phone out of his jeans pocket and handing it to Ashton so he could put his phone number in his contacts list.

“Cool,” Ashton said, after a minute, handing the phone back to him. “When you feel like it.” Calum gave him a look, so he shifted gears. “If. If you feel like it,” he tried again, and Calum just nodded once, slipping his phone back into his pocket.

“Later,” Ashton tried as Calum turned away, but he only raised his hand in a pseudo-wave as he walked back down the street toward the bus stop.

–

_You know you’re being ridiculous, don’t you?_ Ashton sent the text message to Luke after three days of no contact from him at all. He didn’t expect a reply text, so when his phone lit up just seconds after he put it down, he was surprised.

Only it wasn’t Luke who had texted him. It was from a number he didn’t have in his contacts list.

_hey. it’s calum_ the message said, and Ashton almost actually beamed when he saw it.

_Hey!_ he replied, probably a little too enthusiastic after their last conversation, but fuck it.

_hey_

_How are you?_ Ashton sent, at the same time Calum sent _have you talked to luke_

Ashton waited a beat, but Calum didn’t answer his question, so Ashton just responded to Calum’s.

_No. He won’t talk to me either, I guess._

_oh_ was all Calum said, and Ashton frowned at his phone. He really did think Luke was being ridiculous, but there had to be some other explanation for what was going on. Luke didn’t give a shit who he slept with—Ashton had seen him leave from Astraeus with any alpha he deemed attractive enough, no matter what they looked like otherwise.

_I’m thinking of just going over to his apartment._ Ashton sent, which wasn’t true, considering he’d just now thought of it, but he really did have half a mind to go. _Want to come?_

_i don’t think that’s a good idea_ Calum replied after a minute, and Ashton had to agree. He shouldn’t have asked in the first place. Calum probably thought he was a fucking nimrod now.

_Well, if I do go over I’ll let you know how it goes._ Ashton said, hopeful that he could straighten things out between himself and Luke, and then Calum and Luke too.

_you do that_ Calum answered, and Ashton couldn’t tell for sure, but it seemed incredibly final to him. He saved Calum’s number in his phone and then stood up from where he’d been sitting in the armchair in his apartment’s living room, tucking his phone away in his pocket. He was going to see Luke and talk some sense into him.

–

Luke opened the door to his apartment, caught sight of who was standing there, sighed heavily, then turned away and left the door open.

Ashton stepped inside and closed the door behind him, watching as Luke walked back over to his couch and sat down. He was looking up at Ashton, but clearly wasn’t going to speak first.

“So,” Ashton said, and still, Luke remained silent. He just shrugged.

“Have you spoken to Calum?” Ashton asked, even though he already knew the answer.

“No. Why would I want to talk to him?” Luke asked, pulling his legs up onto the couch, tucking his knees against his chest and wrapping his arms around them.

“Because you told me barely even a week ago that you like him,” Ashton said, and Luke scoffed, but instead of letting Luke control the conversation, Ashton lifted a hand, index finger raised, stopping Luke from saying anything or making any other noises. “You did. I don’t care how you want to phrase it—you like him. And judging by everything I’ve noticed about you since we started fooling around, that probably scares you shitless. Right?”

Luke scowled up at him, not saying anything.

“Thought so. And now you’re pretending you don’t like ‘liars’ when we both know damn well he had no idea he was a beta. And since when do you give a shit about someone’s Status anyway?”

“Don’t come in here and act like you know me so well,” Luke countered, his words harsh but his position the same, his posture clearly showing that he felt vulnerable. “I don’t like liars.” Ashton opened his mouth to argue, but Luke kept going, cutting him off.

“And I don’t really like betas either.”

Ashton’s mouth opened again, but this time it was in surprise, that Luke could be so blatantly awful. He’d never seemed like the type, but then Ashton admittedly never really knew him _that_ well.

“Luke, that’s—”

“Go ahead, be a typical alpha and defend him. You don’t even get what it’s like for an omega. We have to compete all the time for alphas like you, and then betas come in and just—it’s like it’s so easy for them. And we’re supposed to just...take that?”

“ _Luke_ ,” Ashton said, stepping closer to him, sitting on the opposite end of the couch. “Are you even hearing yourself right now?”

“Yes,” Luke snapped, though now that Ashton was pointing out how flawed his argument was, he felt less certain in his opinions. That didn’t mean he was going to just let it be, though. “It’s just how I feel,” he said, shrugging, looking away from Ashton to some spot over his left shoulder, so he could see his face in his peripheral vision, but not be looking directly at him.

Ashton noticed, and it irritated him, but he tried to keep calm anyway. “You’re shutting him out. How is that easy for him?”

“You were always going to be on his side,” Luke said, accusatory, smirking like he knew he was totally right about that. “It’s what happens. Omegas get fucked over and their alphas side with the beta. Always.”

“Ok. Except I’m _not_ your alpha. You’re not my omega, and Calum isn’t _any_ one’s beta. We’re all just sleeping together. That’s it.”

Luke’s gaze flitted over to meet Ashton’s, his scowl slightly less pronounced. What he was saying...made sense.

Ashton went on, trying to alleviate the tension and get Luke to see his point. “I mean, if you think about it—this is really the ideal situation we could be in. None of us have any attachments other than...the ones we want. No strings, right?” Luke huffed a short, unamused laugh. “I’m just saying—this could be on your terms. I’m not your alpha, and I’m _definitely_ not his alpha. I just met the guy. We could just...try again. See what happens.”

Luke took a deep breath, unsure if he liked that idea. He moved his arms, lowering his legs, opening himself up a little more to Ashton, who interpreted the change in Luke’s body language as a change in his temperament.

“So?” Ashton asked; he wasn’t necessarily angling for the threesome (though that wouldn’t _hurt_ ), but he really wanted to make Luke see that his shitty opinions were just that: shitty.

“I guess,” Luke said, and he couldn’t help but smile when Ashton grinned at him.

“Ok, so you need to talk to Calum,” Ashton said, and Luke blanched.

“What?” he squeaked—he’d assumed Ashton had already sorted that part out.

“I think an apology might help,” Ashton said, standing back up and walking toward Luke’s front door. “Let me know what’s happening.”

The door swung shut behind him, leaving Luke alone on his couch, baffled at how he’d just been reasoned out of something he’d held on to as true for years.

So alphas didn’t automatically side with betas? Luke was going to get to dictate how things went, on his terms? It was a revolutionary concept to him, but he liked it, and he wanted to do as Ashton said. Maybe it really would be the best for everyone.

–

Two days after he’d texted Ashton, Calum was still holed up in his bedroom. Michael had tried to get him to come out, but he hadn’t even been able to bring himself to tell him what had happened. As far as Michael, and everyone else, knew, Calum was an alpha. How stupid would he look telling them that, actually, no, he’s a beta, the least favored of all the Statuses, oh, and also, he’d been dumped (could he even think of it as being dumped, when he and Luke weren’t even anything other than fuckbuddies to begin with?) by the only guy who’d shown an actual, vested interest in him?

It was better to sneak out after Michael went to bed and heat up a frozen pizza, eat it in the dark of his bedroom, and then go back to sleep.

Was this what rejecting a Status felt like? Calum had never thought much about it, but if it was, it seemed more like a serious emotional upheaval than the action that “rejecting” seemed like it would be.

Michael had tried in vain to get Calum to leave his room to go bowling with a small group of his friends, but Calum pretended he was asleep when he came knocking. He couldn’t fucking believe that he’d been wrong about his Status. It was shattering.

He jumped, startled, when his phone vibrated on his nightstand. The occasional text message would come through, usually from his mum or sister, or Ashton, but this time it was vibrating for a much longer time, instead of the staccato buzzes signaling a text message.

Picking it up, he glanced at the screen and frowned, because Luke was calling him. He had no idea what Luke could possibly have wanted to say to him, other than maybe to rub in his idiocy at not even knowing that he wasn’t actually an alpha.

“Hello?” Calum said, voice scratchy.

“Hey,” Luke said. He didn’t sound as hostile as he had the last time they saw each other, which Calum thought was good, all things considered. He didn’t sound particularly happy, either, but he would take what he could get.

“What do you want?” Calum asked, because he needed to decide then and there if he had to hang up before Luke could do any more damage to his psyche.

“I wanted to talk to you,” Luke said, and Calum hummed in response. He stayed silent, so Luke continued. “To apologize, actually.”

“Apologize?” Calum repeated; he was surprised, because he thought it had been pretty obvious that Luke was over and done with him.

“Don’t act so shocked,” Luke said, a little bit of his usual humor creeping into his voice; Calum wondered if he was smiling. Somehow that made him feel a little better, though he still wasn’t totally clear on Luke’s reason for calling, so he was going to proceed with caution until he could feel him out.

“It just doesn’t seem in character,” Calum tried to joke back, and he was happy to hear that Luke snickered.

“It’s not. But...I guess I’ve done a lot of shit recently that isn’t in character,” Luke said, and Calum supposed that he should agree, except for how all he really knew about Luke was that he liked to fuck and he had a filthy mouth.

“Oh yeah?” Calum asked, keeping it casual and light.

“Yeah,” Luke affirmed. “A lot of stuff, really. I...guess I should start from the beginning.”

“Ok,” Calum agreed, settling back onto his bed to be comfortable while Luke spoke for however long this would take.

“I didn’t expect to like you as much as I did when I took you home from Astraeus,” Luke said, and Calum couldn’t help but interrupt.

“Wait, what? _That’s_ the beginning?”

“Yeah? What did you think, I was going to give you my whole life story?” Luke asked, and Calum could hear the smirk on his face.

“Kind of,” he said, wanting to make Luke take him seriously for once. “Like maybe something happened that made you hate betas.”

That shut Luke up for a good, long moment, but he rebounded quickly enough. “Honestly, I don’t even have a reason for that. It just seemed like another thing for alphas to have over us. Like they could leave us at any time for a beta.”

“You don’t even have an alpha,” Calum said, and he heard Luke sigh through the phone.

“I know,” Luke said. “But that’s...I guess that’s why I felt that way.”

Calum picked up on his word choice; he didn’t want to get too hopeful, but he asked anyway. “Felt?”

“Yeah. I talked to Ashton. It...He kind of helped. I mean, I had to do some really serious thinking and soul searching and, like, look deep within myself to find answers—”

“Oh my god, you’re such an ass,” Calum spoke over him, laughing a little.

“—but I figured out that I was just...mirroring what everything else around me said. I...I never had any reason to hate you. Hate betas, I mean. Because I never wanted an alpha. I just wanted to do my own thing, you know?”

Calum considered it; it made sense, or at the very least he could see where Luke was coming from. “Yeah.”

“How...are you doing?” Luke asked, deciding he’d had enough of baring his innermost thoughts. “You know, with the...shift in thinking?”

“You mean how I’m actually a beta?” Calum asked, needing to hear Luke acknowledge it, for his own sanity.

“Yeah. I don’t know what I’d do if I went from thinking I was an omega to suddenly popping a knot.”

Calum chuckled, though his heart wasn’t really in it. “It’s...tough. I haven’t told anyone else. You and Ashton are the only ones who know.”

Luke resisted interrupting and asking more questions, even though he wanted to.

“I’m just...I guess I’m not as upset as I was when it first happened. It was just a shit way to find out. I’m not mad that I’m a beta or anything—honestly I was mostly just upset about...your reaction.” He paused. “I’m not saying that to make you feel bad! I swear. I’m just...it was weird enough to be told that I’m not what I think I am and then two seconds later have the guy who—have you ask me to leave.”

Luke tilted his head to the side, then asked the question he found most pressing. “The guy who what?”

Calum cleared his throat. “The guy who I thought liked me.”

Luke let out a peal of nervous laughter, unintentionally, but cut it off prematurely. “You—what?”

“Don’t you?” Calum asked, trying not to feel offended at the laughter, because he was pretty sure he and Luke had, at the very least, really serious chemistry.

“You could tell?” Luke asked, sounding half incredulous and half anxious, like it was a bad thing.

Calum’s heart pounded out of rhythm for a moment as Luke basically admitted to what Calum said: Luke liked him. “Does that mean you do?”

Luke fidgeted a little at the question, shifting himself to sit with his legs stretched out along the back of the couch, and draped his head back over the arm, looking up at the ceiling. Calum listened to the fabric rustling without saying anything, because he’d asked Luke a question and he wanted to know the answer. Finally, Luke answered. “Yeah.”

“I knew it,” Calum said, and Luke groaned.

“Don’t rub it in, dick,” he said, throwing his arm over his face dramatically, even though Calum couldn’t see him.

“What about Ashton?” Calum asked, biting his lip. Calum had no idea of the extent of their relationship, but he thought that maybe there was more to it than he’d picked up on.

“What about him?” Luke echoed.

“You two just seem really close,” Calum said.

“Me and Ashton?” Luke said, holding back his laugh. “I was fucking him for slightly longer than I was fucking you. It was...it wasn’t really anything.”

Calum hummed, like maybe he believed that, but even as he said it, Luke knew it wasn’t true. He’d fucked a lot of people, sure, but there weren’t many he went back to for seconds, and even less that he’d slept with multiple times. There were only two, actually.

Ashton and Calum.

“Would you want to try again?” Luke asked, and Calum’s eyes narrowed, shaking his head.

“Try what again?”

“The, uh. Threesome.”

Calum didn’t reply right away, because of course Luke asked (it _was_ Luke after all), but it was just so sudden. Before he had the good sense to decline, his brain had let his heart take control of his mouth, and he answered.

“Yes.”


	6. Chapter 6

       **”Top 5 ABO Sex Positions (You Should Try Tonight!).” First printed November 2012.**

_5\. “Watch and Learn” - An omega should be obedient, right? Then show them their place! Have the alpha take the beta and give them every pleasure you all can think of—while making your omega watch! It’ll drive them absolutely mad, and the amount of slick they’ll produce to try and attract you will have all three of you writhing by the time you’re done!_

_4\. “A-B-Ohh” - An omega is built to accommodate a knot—which means a little DP action wouldn’t hurt at all! Why bother having the alpha and beta switch off when you can take your turns at the same time?_

_3\. “Relaxed Spitroast” - Also referred to as “London Bridge is Going Up” in some circles (those are our kind of circles!). Have one of your trio lie on their back (the omega or the beta work best) with their head hanging off the edge of the bed. The other two take whichever position they prefer and give it to the third. For extra fun, try switching and “going up” in the other direction!_

_2\. “Giddy Up!” - Pretty self-explanatory, but definitely deserving of a mention! The alpha or the beta should lie on their back, then the omega sits on top of them and rides them like a cowboy (or cowgirl)! Maybe give it a try in reverse? ;)_

_1\. “Alpha-beta-cal Order” - Standing up or on hands and knees, nothing beats making a yummy ABO sandwich, with the omega first, the beta behind, and the alpha bringing up the rear. See if you can both pop your knots at once!_

* * *

“You ok?” Ashton asked, looking over at Calum as they rode the elevator up to Luke’s floor. It was happenstance that they’d met outside at just the right time, but Calum was actually sort of glad that Ashton was there. Not that he’d really expected Luke to pull anything shitty, but there was always the chance that it was all an elaborate prank on Calum. He didn’t think Ashton would let Luke do anything like that, so walking in with him definitely calmed his mind.

“Yeah,” Calum answered, shrugging.

“I don’t just mean now. I mean like...in general.”

Calum looked over at Ashton as the elevator dinged and they disembarked, stepping into the hallway. Ashton seemed sincere in asking, like he genuinely wanted to know, so Calum gave him the most genuine answer he could. “I think so.”

Ashton smiled a little, awkwardly, then nodded, clapping a hand onto Calum’s shoulder as the elevator doors slid shut behind them. “Good.”

Calum gave him a small half-smile in return, then took a step down the hall, leading Ashton to Luke’s door. He knocked when they arrived at the right one, and it swung open almost immediately. Luke was already shirtless, his eyes bright as he took in the sight of them.

“Get in here,” he said, enthused, so Calum and Ashton both moved past him, both basking in his scent. It was insane how he could affect them so strongly, but then, it almost seemed like Luke had seduction down to an art.

“Are you thirsty?” Luke asked, though he had already taken a couple steps toward the hall, indicating that he was just trying to be polite in asking them, because he wanted to get started as soon as possible. Calum smirked—typical Luke.

“I’m ok,” Calum said, shaking his head, but Ashton couldn’t resist trying to joke around.

“I’m good now,” he said, “but maybe I should get something for after? Maybe like, some kind of sports drink, to replenish lost electrolytes?” As he spoke, Luke’s scowl grew more pronounced, until he had walked over and hooked his arm around Ashton’s neck, dragging him along in a half-hearted headlock until they were in his room; Calum followed, amused, shaking his head at their antics.

Once they were all safely enclosed in his room, Luke released Ashton and pulled him close, not kissing him yet, but their faces were close enough that either of them just had to move slightly and they would be. Calum, watching, shrugged his shirt off, dropping it to the side before unbuttoning his jeans. Ashton was the one who noticed—he turned his head, and Luke followed suit, eyes roving over Calum’s body as he stepped out of his jeans and kicked off his shoes and socks, left once again in just his boxer-briefs.

“Look at you,” Luke said, smirking. “Way ahead of us.”

“Last time gave me blue balls,” Calum said, hoping that if he joked about it, they’d know he was totally cool with it. “I’m a little impatient, sue me.” Luke’s expression faltered a little, but Ashton, apparently, understood what he was going for and chuckled.

“Same,” Ashton said, and pulled away from Luke, whose close proximity and scent was already giving him a semi. “Let’s not waste any more time.”

Luke looked between the two of them, then nodded, glad that Calum was able to forgive him for the stupid shit he’d said and done; he really was a catch—Luke couldn’t believe he’d almost fucked this up for himself (and Ashton). With that thought, he and Ashton stripped off their clothes, making small piles on the floor before looking expectantly at Calum; they both were totally naked, while he was, still, in his underwear.

“We’ve already seen it, Cal,” Luke said, climbing onto his bed, lying down and gesturing for Ashton to lie on his left side. “Don’t be shy.”

“I’m not shy,” Calum said, hooking his thumbs into the waistband as Ashton spoke too.

“And he said _he_ was impatient,” he mumbled as he climbed over Luke, causing the omega to hit him on the arm with the back of his hand.

“Shut up,” Luke said, ignoring Ashton and Calum’s laughs, and instead focusing on Calum’s cock, which was half-hard, barely even erect and already dripping precome from the tip.

“Fuck,” Ashton groaned, looking at him—the mixture of pheromones in the air wasn’t just getting to him, apparently, because Calum’s thighs were already looking just a touch wet from his slick.

“Come here,” Luke said, shifting so he was lying on his stomach. He looked back over his shoulder at Ashton. “You too. Next to me.”

Ashton huffed a little at having to move after he’d just settled down, but changed his position to lie on his front too, beside Luke, as Calum sidled up to stand in front of them, chewing his lower lip just a little.

“What?” he asked, and Luke glanced up at him, smirking, though Ashton looked just as bemused as Calum did.

“I think you deserve a little...appreciation,” Luke said, and Calum understood after a beat that whatever he was about to do was to make up for how he’d treated Calum the last time they saw each other.

“Ashton,” Luke said, propping himself up on his elbows and leaning forward as much as he could, his lips grazing over the head of Calum’s cock, smearing precome on his lips—it was like his dick wouldn’t stop leaking it, and Luke lapped at the head before turning away, licking his lips and looking expectantly at Ashton.

Calum was holding his breath, looking down at the two men on the bed in front of him, wondering if Ashton would, again, take orders from an omega, when he, too, leaned forward and opened his mouth, taking the head of Calum’s dick between his lips, sucking it.

The breath was expelled from Calum’s lungs, quietly and soft, but when he felt Luke’s mouth on the side of his cock, he couldn’t help the moan that fell from his lips. Ashton moaned softly in response, Calum’s precome practically flooding his mouth—he swallowed repeatedly, and he could feel his knot beginning to swell up beneath his hips just at the taste of Calum.

“Fuck, Cal,” Luke sighed against his dick, and Calum shivered at how cool his breath felt on his heated skin. Ashton didn’t even falter in suckling the head as Calum felt a huge gush of precome spurt lazily out of the head of his dick—he just swallowed it before pulling off, wanting to let Luke have a turn.

“Taste him,” Ashton said, licking his lips, not even caring how lewd it looked. Unconsciously, he rolled his hips against Luke’s bed (Calum noticed—he felt a twinge in his abdomen again, and knew that his own knot would begin to swell soon, if it hadn’t already, and his hole would really begin to leak slick),

“Gladly,” Luke said, grinning at him and wiggling his eyebrows, ignoring Ashton’s scoff as he took Calum’s cock in his mouth, humming immediately in appreciation.

“Fuck his face,” Ashton said, and Luke’s eyes widened as he looked up as best he could at Calum through his eyelashes. Calum looked first at Ashton, then met Luke’s eyes—he looked all too eager for what Ashton had commanded, so Calum did what he was asked.

He pulled his hips back, just the head of his cock between Luke’s lips, and then pushed forward, his cock slipping easily into Luke’s mouth, far enough that he could tell Luke would gag if he had a gag reflex (which all empirical evidence seemed to show wasn’t the case). He moved back, then repeated the same action, over and over, until he could very well say he was fucking Luke’s mouth. Ashton grinned as Luke hummed around Calum’s dick, and then grinned wider as he seemed to pick up the pace, the force of moving his hips causing some slick to drip out of him, rolling down his thighs.

Ashton pushed himself up and climbed off the bed, moving around behind Calum, resting his chin on his shoulder as he lowered his hands to Calum’s hips.

Calum turned to look at Ashton just as Ashton leaned in to kiss him, their lips on each other’s for a moment before Ashton pulled away and dropped to his knees behind Calum. He moved his hands from Calum’s hips to his ass cheeks, spreading him apart and moaning at the sight. Between his legs, he could see Calum’s balls hitting against Luke’s chin as he fucked his mouth—Luke really was taking him like a champ, humping his own bed, his dick probably hard and his hole wet, slicked-up, desperate to be filled but no—not yet.

Calum wanted to turn and try to see what Ashton was doing behind him, but he couldn’t—Ashton’s hands on his ass were managing to hold him steady as he fucked Luke’s mouth, though his pace had slowed considerably. Ashton moved one of his thumbs over Calum’s rim, his slick spilling out of his body and arousing Ashton further, enticing him to fuck Calum until he filled him with his knot, but he wasn’t going to do that yet, either.

Taking a deep breath, inhaling the scents from both the beta and the omega in the room, Ashton shuddered and then lowered his face to Calum’s ass, lapping at him roughly, licking up his slick and swallowing it, moaning as it covered his face. Calum produced _so much_ it was nearly overwhelming, and the deeper into Calum he licked, the wetter he could feel himself becoming as Calum’s slick drenched his front, dripping from his chin onto his chest as he ate Calum’s ass out.

Above him, Calum wasn’t even close to keeping his composure. He was no longer standing upright, but was instead bent over Luke, one hand curled into a fist in his hair, the other resting on his shoulder, squeezing it for support. Luke had taken control and was instead sucking Calum’s dick, bobbing his head back and forth on him, both of them taking Calum’s body over by pleasuring him.

Ashton pulled back at nearly the same moment Luke did—Ashton took a deep breath, which didn’t help anything because all he could smell was Calum’s slick coating his lips, his face, and through it, he could smell Luke too, ready for one of them to knot him.

“I’m fucking—” Luke began, rolling onto his back, even though the position wouldn’t help anyone fuck him. Ashton smelled his scent strengthen as slick likely poured out of his hole, pooling on his bedsheets. “I’m so fucking wet,” he continued, reaching a hand down between his legs, fucking two fingers into himself—both Calum and Ashton could hear the noises as he did, and Calum’s cock twitched at the sound; Ashton’s cock dribbled some precome and he stood, needing to use Calum to steady himself as he regained his footing.

“Fuck me,” Luke whined and Ashton reached out to try and move him, physically turn him so his ass wasn’t facing the wall and one of them could have room to do what he asked.

“Move,” Calum said to him, finally speaking again, and helped Ashton move Luke bodily around on the bed. They locked eyes at one point and shared a smile, amused at what a fucking primadonna Luke was.

“How are we doing this?” Ashton asked, once Luke was situated a bit better, no longer fingering himself but instead stroking his cock.

“Who fucking cares?” Luke retorted, wiggling his hips—more slick washed out of him, and Calum had to collect himself, eyes closed, before he was able to speak.

“Get him up on his knees,” Calum said, pointing at Luke’s headboard, which would be the right height for him to hold on to. “I’ll get behind him and you can get behind me.”

Luke licked his lip, but looked up at Ashton and nodded, apparently totally on board with that plan. He pushed himself up, turning so he was facing away from them on his knees, hands gripping the headboard, his asshole totally exposed and open, oozing slick. He looked back at Calum over his shoulder and spread his knees a bit further apart.

Calum climbed onto the bed, feeling the splotches of slick Luke had left just by moving around, but not really able to complain—his own slick and precome were fucking running down his legs after everything the pair had done to him moments ago. He moved behind Luke and braced himself, hands on Luke’s sides, watching as Ashton moved up onto the bed behind him.

“Ready?” Ashton asked, though it wasn’t apparent which of them he was speaking to.

“Yeah,” Calum and Luke breathed out in unison.

“Ok,” Ashton said, voice just as quiet. He took Calum’s hips in his hands and moved a bit closer to him on his knees, waiting for Calum to situate himself behind Luke.

Calum waited barely another second before looking down at his cock, his knot half-swollen already, cock supported fully by it, and pushed the head into Luke’s loose hole. He hissed quietly, and even though Ashton couldn’t see, Luke’s whimper told him Calum had moved into him. He wasn’t as hesitant as Calum—he circled Calum’s hole with the tip of his dick before moving into him, fully, in one swift movement that caused Calum to fuck into Luke just the same, snapping his hips forward.

“Jesus fucking— _fuck_ ,” Luke moaned, clinging to the headboard as Ashton began moving behind both of them, the rhythm he’d chosen getting Calum to move too, even though Luke had no idea if Calum was doing it on his own or if the force of Ashton’s thrusts were just moving Calum’s hips forward, too.

Calum’s fingers squeezed down onto Luke’s sides, and he tried to alternate his own movements with Ashton’s—when Ashton pulled back, Calum moved forward into Luke, and vice versa. It worked a little too well, maybe, and every time Ashton’s hips faltered from the frankly ridiculous amount of pleasure he was getting, Calum accounted for it, stuttering his hips forward into Luke or backward into Ash, reading his movements just as they were happening.

Luke could feel Calum’s knot growing each time he fucked into him, catching on his rim as he moved out, his hole so fucking wet from the combination of his own slick and Calum’s precome that it was dripping down between his legs. He lowered one of his hands to take hold of his cock, circling his length and dragging his palm over himself quickly, knowing that he, at least, wasn’t going to last much longer.

Ashton could already tell that he was going to pop his knot into Calum, and soon. He moved his hand from his hip up to hold his shoulder, gripping it and making Calum arch his back. Ashton leaned down to lick at the muscles in his back as they flexed, and with another thrust, his knot and Calum’s hole were fixed together and he was fucking unloading into Calum’s ass, his come filling him as Ashton’s entire body seized up, tight with his orgasm.

Calum moaned, loudly, a sound that degenerated into a whine and then a whimper as he fucked one last time into Luke, whose hole clenched around him as he brought himself to orgasm with his hand around his cock. He came onto his pillows, tight as fuck around Calum, who couldn’t pull out even if he tried—because his own knot had popped into place, held there by Luke’s tight ass, his own orgasm following just after Luke’s, come flooding inside of Luke’s body. Calum’s thighs twitched as he leaned forward, tucking his face into the crook between Luke’s shoulder and neck, eyelashes tickling Luke’s ear.

The three of them stayed locked in place until they came down from their highs, and then Ashton’s arms were fixed around Calum’s waist, his hands against Luke’s lower back.

“Grab him,” Ashton whispered in Calum’s ear. Without questioning what Ashton meant, just somehow knowing and understanding, Calum looped his arms around Luke’s front and moved as one with Ashton as he sat back against the wall, Calum on top of Ashton, Luke on top of Calum.

The added weight settled both of them down further on the knot in each of their asses, and they all groaned together as one as Ashton slid a little further down, Calum settled against his front, with Luke reclining over both of them. It was as if everything in them had aligned perfectly, forming a constellation of their hearts and minds and bodies and _beings_.

Calum could feel Ashton behind him, beneath him, nosing at his neck, kissing it softly, but Calum didn’t do anything of the sort to Luke. Calum just held him tightly, his hands folded on his stomach, Luke’s hands settled on top of Calum’s own.

–

“I don’t buy for a second that this was Luke’s idea,” Ashton said, crossing his arms over his chest. He was standing in Luke’s kitchen, trying to cook spaghetti and failing miserably (first he’d overcooked the pasta, and now he was pretty sure the sauce was burning on the stove).

“It was,” Calum said from the couch, feet up on the coffee table.

“It was,” Luke echoed, singsong, from the hallway, entering the room a moment later. “Hey. Feet off the table,” he added, once he saw how Calum was sitting. Reluctantly, Calum lowered his feet, wiggling his socked toes.

“You, our very own ‘No strings’ extraordinaire—” Ashton began.

“I think we’re all pretty fucking stringy by now, don’t you, Cal?” Luke interrupted, but Ashton spoke over him.

“—want to bond?”

“I’m not allowed to grow as a person and change my mind?” Luke asked, sitting down next to Calum, practically curling up against him, and draping one arm over the back of the couch behind him.

“It’s barely been six months,” Ashton said, and Luke scoffed.

“Excuse you. It has been exactly seven months and five days, but who’s counting?”

Calum chuckled and leaned his head back against Luke’s arm. Luke leaned in to brush his nose against Calum’s temple.

Ashton stirred the sauce, nose wrinkled as he debated starting over, before turning the heat lower and then putting down the wooden spoon and facing Calum and Luke again.

“If both of you are absolutely sure,” Ashton said, wiping a bit of stray sauce from his hand onto a spare paper towel laying on the counter. “Then I’m in.”

“I’m in,” Calum said, lifting his head back up to meet Ashton’s eyes, before they both turned to look at Luke.

“I’m in,” Luke said, a slow smile overtaking his lips.


End file.
